Blogs
Weekly Update: Mandatory CSR obligation could drive rooftop solar in India
22 July 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
Last week, the Companies Bill 2011 finally became law after it received the Rajya Sabha’s (upper house of the Parliament) approval. The Lok Sabha (lower house of the Parliament) had already passed it in June 2012. The key aspect of the bill is that it mandates large-sized corporations to spend 2% of their net profits on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. Since, solar is...
Why the gas price increase is good for India
22 July 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
Recently the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved an increase in the price of natural gas. It will almost be doubled to USD 8.4/MMBtu from USD 4.5/MMBtu. This move was long awaited by gas producers. It will incentivize investments in the sector, make gas a more important part of the power mix and help reduce the cost of energy imports. For solar that is also good news: gas is an...
The launch of the report: ‘Rooftop Revolution: Unleashing Delhi’s solar potential’
22 July 2013 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
BRIDGE TO INDIA in collaboration with Greenpeace launched the report ‘Rooftop Revolution: Unleashing Delhi’s Solar Potential’ yesterday i.e. July 23rd 2013, at the India International Centre as a part of Greenpeace’s campaign ‘Switch on the Sun’ The report proposes that Delhi can be a 2 GW solar city by 2020 The report provides arguments, analysis and data to the Delhi...
Solar can be a win-win for all stakeholders
22 July 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
India is expected to have an energy deficiency of 6.7% in the coming year i.e. 2013-2014. The actual peak demand of power has exceeded the planned production in India for years, causing power outages for the average Indian consumer. The grid infrastructure too collapses at times under the strain of excess electricity loads during peak summer months. The Northern grid failure in 2012 disrupted...
Can the Indian power grid host rooftop solar PV?
19 July 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
Power grids all over the world were originally designed for one-way supply of power from the grid to the end consumers. Solar PV systems, when connected to the grid create a two way supply of power (from the grid to the consumer and vice versa) and multiple power sources. This does not fit the original design of grids and can create operational problems. Moreover, a traditional grid can only...
A growing parity based market in India will bring many new opportunities and business models
15 July 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
Until now, most of the solar capacity in India is ground mounted and under policy based projects. The cumulative capacity of rooftop based projects in India is under 200 MW. However, this is likely to change as solar PV becomes cheaper and the prices of conventional power move up. We have already seen mass adoption of solar PV for rooftops in the US and Germany. Increasingly, these installations...
Weekly Update: Gujarat’s claim for retrospective revision in tariffs is fundamentally flawed
15 July 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
In a recent petition, Gujarat’s energy company Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL) claims that the levelized tariff of INR 12.54/kWh being paid to the state’s solar power developers is too high and should be reduced (refer to our last weekly update). The petition (
Weekly Update:Project developers in Gujarat may face a retrospective reduction in tariffs
09 July 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL), the off-taker for 852 MW of installed solar capacity in the state, has submitted a petition to Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) to intervene and facilitate the re-negotiation of tariffs for the already installed projects. GUVNL claims that a capital cost of INR 165 m/MW was assumed to determine the tariff , however, most developers...
Introducing IndiaSolarHomes.com: Your online guide to going solar in India
08 July 2013 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
With a widening energy deficit and increasing power tariffs, India’s electricity sector is in dire need of improvement and innovation. One of the main upcoming drivers for rectifying India’s energy issues will be residential solar rooftop installations, which will prove to be one of the most viable, accessible and reliable power solutions for homes and other buildings in...
Weekly Update: A Lesson from Bihar: states should allocate solar projects based on a policy
02 July 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
Bihar State Power (Holding) Company Limited (BSPHCL) had recently issued a tender for an allocation of a 100 MW capacity in the state. Today (July 1st 2013), is the last date for the submission of the bids. The solar projects are expected to meet the solar renewable purchase obligations (RPOs) of the state-owned power distribution companies. Allocation of projects should be under a policy...
The market this quarter: The July 2013 edition of the INDIA SOLAR COMPASS
30 June 2013 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
BRIDGE TO INDIA has launched the July 2013 edition of the INDIA SOLAR COMPASS, a quarterly market analysis report to the Indian solar market. This post is an excerpt from the report’s ‘Overview’ section. In the previous quarter (April 2013 to June 2013), the Indian...
Weekly Update: Has India lost its sheen for solar PV investments?
25 June 2013 | Jasmeet Khurana
Since 2003, Ernst & Young has been releasing its global quarterly publication, renewable energy country attractiveness index (RECAI) that ranks 40 countries on the attractiveness of their renewable energy investment and deployment opportunities. This index is based on a number of macro, energy market and technology-specific indicators. India’s RECAI ranking for solar investments has...
