Let's go green: 2016-11-27

Thursday, 1 December 2016

Azure Power commences construction of a 100 MW solar PV project in Andhra Pradesh

Azure Power (New Delhi, India), a leading independent solar power producer in India, on November 30^th, 2016 announced that it has started the construction of its 100 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Andhra Pradesh.

The Company has secured land and financing for this project. The project was auctioned by NTPC, Government of India’s largest power utility, designated under National Solar Mission for a total capacity of 1,000 MW of solar power projects at Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park.

The solar park is being developed by Solar Park Implementation Agency (SPIA), Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Corporation Limited (APSPCL).

USD 0.077 per kWh of solar power

The solar power tariff on the project will be INR 5.12/kWh (USD 0.077/kWh) and the company will supply power to NTPC for a duration of 25 years. The project is expected to get commissioned by second quarter of 2017.

“With the commencement of the construction of this 100 MW project, we are delighted to make contribution towards realization of our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s commitment towards clean and green energy, through solar power generation,” comments Inderpreet Wadhwa, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Azure Power.

source:http://www.solarserver.com

Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Mercom forecasts global solar PV installations to reach 76 GW in 2016; Demand outlook improved for 2017

Mercom forecasts global solar PV installations to reach 76 GW in in 2016, and 70 GW in 2017

Mercom Capital Group (Austin, TX, U.S.) forecasts global solar photovoltaic (PV) installations to reach 76 GW in 2016 and expects solar PV installations to hit 70 GW in 2017.

“Global solar demand will overshoot most forecasts made earlier this year due to an unprecedented level of activity in China,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO and Co-Founder of Mercom Capital Group.

“Record installations in China followed by a slowdown resulted in an oversupply situation, which led to a module price crash. Low module prices are helping demand recovery going into 2017.”

Rather than a slowdown as expected earlier, global solar demand outlook has improved for 2017 as steep module price declines have triggered a rebound in China in anticipation of the next round of tariff cuts.

In fact, this latest rebound has stabilized PV module price declines somewhat. Similar demand recovery due to improved project economics is expected in other markets, Mercom notes.

China installed approximately 22 GW installed in the first half of 2016 alone

After installing 15.1 GW in 2015, China overshot its 2016 installation goal of 18.1 GW in the first half of 2016 alone with approximately 22 GW installed as developers rushed to complete projects before the country’s June 30 tariff deadline.

Demand fell after the tariff cuts, which triggered a drop in solar module prices resulting in an oversupply situation. Spot module prices have fallen approximately 30 percent YTD and about 21 percent since June.

Due to unprecedented installation levels, China’s National Energy Administration is looking at a 27 percent reduction in the country’s solar installation target from 150 GW to 110 GW by 2020.

U.S. solar market to reach approximately 13 GW in 2016

Mercom’s forecast for the U.S. solar market in 2016 is approximately 13 GW. The forecast is mostly unchanged from earlier estimates as channel checks have consistently indicated slower than expected activity after the ITC extension was announced in December 2015.

A substantial number of large-scale projects have been postponed to 2017 due to the absence of an impending ITC deadline.

The U.S. market is projected to grow about 78 percent year-over-year in 2016. Utility-scale solar projects continue to drive the U.S. solar market with an estimated pipeline of more than 30 GW.

Power purchase agreements (PPAs) are being signed at lower and lower prices and rapid module price declines due to the oversupply situation in China are expected to stimulate activity in the U.S. even more as project IRRs improve. All of this could lead to a strong 2017 for the U.S.

ITC extension will likely remain

The election of Donald Trump has left the market questioning if it will be impacted by the results. While the U.S. Clean Power Plan, President Obama’s signature climate change policy, may be the first casualty, the ITC extension will likely remain due to the bipartisan nature of how the extension was passed and the fact that the solar sector employs more than 200,000 citizens.

Japan is expected to install 10.5 GW in 2016; India will deploy about 4 GW this year

Japan and India will follow China and the U.S. as the third and fourth largest markets this year. India has a chance to move up to the third spot in 2017 based on its current project pipeline.

Japan is expected to install 10.5 GW this year. The tariff revisions coming up in Japan in April 2017 could be steep. Reverse auctions and regulations are also expected in April 2017 as Japan moves toward auctions in an effort to reduce subsidy bills. India is expected to install about 4 GW this year and double that in 2017. The Indian solar market is largely driven by auctions and has a robust 20 GW pipeline.

European market continues to decline

The European market continues to decline with only the U.K., Germany and France expected to install more than 1 GW in 2016. In 2017, France and Germany are the only European markets forecast to install more than a gigawatt.

Australia is expected to install approximately 1 GW in both 2016 and 2017.

Other solar markets to watch include Latin America, an important growth market led by Mexico, Chile and Brazil, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which is also a significant up and coming market especially after the collapse of oil prices. South Africa and Saudi Arabia are forecast to show significant growth.

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Northern Govs, GE Partner To Build 500MW Power Plants

The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and United States firm, General Electric International, yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of five solar plants that will generate 500 megawatts of electricity in parts of Northern Nigeria.
Borno State governor and NSGF chairman, Kashim Shettima, signed the agreement on behalf of the governors while General Electric’s senior executive, Western Europe and Africa, Mr Armand Pineda, and the president/Chief executive officer, General Electric, Nigeria, Dr Lazarus Angbazo, signed on behalf of their company, in a brief ceremony held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
Based on the MoU, General Electric, which has 120 years’ experience in power generation, is to build five solar power plants to be located in Borno, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger and Taraba states. Each of the plants is expected to generate 100 megawatts of electricity – totalling 500 megawatts across the five states.

The electricity project is meant to stimulate economic activities and social services in the affected states, through boosting of agricultural food processing, small scale businesses and supplying electricity to schools and hospitals.
The project, which is a pilot phase, is being coordinated by the Northern Nigeria Global Economic Re-integration Programme, newly created by the northern governors to serve as vehicle for the economic recovery of northern states through international relations on infrastructure, manufacturing, stimulating agricultural value-chain and trade and making the region a global payer in agricultural export in line with the vision of late premier of the region.
The northern governors engaged the services of Malam Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi as the chief executive officer of the programme.
Kurfi, a former chief economic adviser to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, has wide contacts with leading development companies and financial institutions across the world.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Governor Shettima explained that the project was a creation of the 19 northern states governors as a way of finding solutions to the problems bedevilling the region.
“The 19 governors of the north jointly created this approach. We want to go beyond lamentation to provide solutions and we all know that power is key to industrial development. With power, we can create jobs, stimulate our economies and make life better for our people.
“The General Electric has over 120 years of experience in energy solutions and they have been operating in Nigeria for over 50 years. We cannot have a better partner than GE. We shall do our part as governors; this I will assure you. We are deeply committed to this agreement,” he said.
The governor noted the challenges posed by poverty, unemployment, poor access to education, poor healthcare amongst other indices of underdevelopment threatening the north, and concluded that the power can provide a vehicle for the north to reposition itself for a better future.
In his remarks, Kurfi, said he took up the challenge put forward by the northern governors as a result of the strong passion and commitment to the aggressive development of the north as so far shown by the northern governors since Governor Shettima became the forum’s chairman in 2015.
Reaffirming its commitment to the MOU, General Electric’s senior executive, Western Europe and Africa, Mr Armand Pineda, and the president/CEO, General Electric, Nigeria, Dr Lazarus Angbazo, both pledged that they would work round the clock to deliver on the project for the benefit of citizens of the five states.
LEADERSHIP recalls that in October this year, General Electric, announced plans to invest about $150m (N45.8bn) in Nigeria by 2017.
“There are development projects where we are investing,” the Chief Executive Officer, General Electric in Africa, Jay Ireland, told the Financial Times Africa Summit in London. The GE said it would also invest in oil and gas industry projects.
Ireland said the investment in Nigeria was part of a plan to spend $2bn in Africa in coming years.
The GE, which has operated in Africa for over 100 years, had earlier in September, restated its commitment to invest $2bn in facility development, skills training, and sustainability initiatives across the continent by 2018.
source:leadership

NREL adds solar PV array field to help inform consumers

NREL engineers Bill Sekulic (left) and Chris Deline monitor the progress of the new PV array just north of the NREL parking garage

Solar panels at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are ubiquitous to the point of practically being invisible, but new rows of photovoltaic (PV) modules installed on the southern edge of campus are intended to attract attention.

The newest PV modules are being installed to measure how their efficiency at converting sunlight into electricity changes over time. That change, called the degradation rate, will be posted on NREL's website along with the manufacturers' names.

To start, 50 solar PV modules made by three manufacturers will be deployed in 2017. Then, each year for the following two years, additional sets of 50 modules made by other companies will be added.

The test centers to validate new technologies and to measure the performance of solar PV modules

“We're going to buy up modules that represent the average cross-section of installed modules each year in the United States and see how they do over time,” said Chris Deline, an engineer at NREL who also serves as director for Colorado's two regional test centers.

The test centers, funded by the Energy Department, are used to validate new technologies and measure the performance of solar modules over time. Across the NREL campus, solar modules are integrated into the buildings, including the roof of the five-story parking garage near the new array field. Another building, the Outdoor Test Facility (OTF), has an adjacent solar array field but doesn't have much room for more modules on its concrete pads.

“The main difference is this large grassy area gives us the capability of having larger systems,” Deline said.

“Over at the OTF, because of our space constraints, we can only have 8 or 10 modules for a given system. With this one we're able to do side-by-side comparisons of larger systems.”

More PV modules to be added each year

Once completed, the new solar array field will house four rows of PV modules. The first row, already in place, is for partner manufacturers' modules that NREL is either studying or comparing to similar products. For example, a California company, SolarCity, has NREL testing its modules against those made by a Chinese manufacturer.

Further along the row, high voltage (up to 1,500 V to represent the high voltages used in some PV systems today) is applied to modules of a range of constructions. This helps quantify their susceptibility to degradation associated with the leakage currents that can occur at these high system voltages. How the modules do at NREL will be assessed against the performance of identical setups in Singapore and China.

Ongoing measurement of the new solar modules is part of the PV Lifetime project, a new effort led by Sandia National Laboratories. In addition to the modules deployed at NREL, similar arrays will be installed at regional test centers at Sandia and in Florida. The data collected will be published on NREL's website.

source: http://www.solarserver.com

SolarPower Europe outlines policy priorities for solar-plus-storage

The combination of PV and storage is the perfect fit to lift solar power to the next growth level, SolarPower Europe emphasizes

SolarPower Europe (Brussels) is calling on the European Commission to address the needs of solar power and energy storage technology in its upcoming Energy Union Package.

The association’s Task Force on Solar & Storage has created 10 Policy Asks that are crucial to develop an appropriate framework for solar photovoltaics (PV) & storage.

“The industry is being very successful in bringing down the cost of stationary battery storage and in improving its ability to provide efficient services and solutions to the market,” says Riccardo Amoroso, Chief Innovation Officer of Enel Green Power and Vice President of SolarPower Europe.

“Today we need European policy makers to put in place stable regulatory conditions including clear definitions and an appropriate market design to ensure a level playing field among competing solution providers. Such conditions will allow for further innovations and corresponding market growth.”

Battery storage to lift solar power to the next growth level

While the solar power market in Europe has been in a transition phase over the last few years, the combination of solar and storage is the perfect fit to lift solar power to the next growth level, the association emphasizes.

Solar power could strongly contribute to reaching the target in the current draft RE directive

“If the regulatory environment for solar & storage is set effectively, solar power will strongly contribute to reaching the 27% target for renewable energy in 2030 in the current draft RE directive,” comments Michael Schmela, Executive Advisor at SolarPower Europe.

Implementing our 10 policy priorities for solar & storage in the Energy Union Package would already go a big part of the way to achieving the realistic 35% target SolarPower Europe would like to see in the new REDII 2030 directive.”

10 Policy Priorities for Solar & Storage

DEFINITION
An EU-wide definition of “electricity storage” should be introduced in the revised Electricity Directive. This definition should:
a. Establish electricity storage as a new type of asset on the grid that can provide multiple services – next to traditional transmission, distribution and generation assets.
b. Acknowledge that electricity storage provides value as it can both absorb and release electricity from and into the grid.
c. Set the ground for a fair taxation of stored electricity, in particular to avoid double taxation.
d. Recognize the commercial value of flexibility services provided at system as well as local level and encourage energy planners, regulators and system operators to integrate electricity storage in their planning.
Clarifying the definition and rights of active consumers regarding storage: the REDII should enshrine the right for consumers to self-generate and consume renewable energy:
- Consumers need to be able to own and operate storage devices without discrimination.
- The stored electricity must be free of specific taxes or charges.
MARKET DESIGN
An appropriate reform of the intraday markets is crucial for enabling large-scale solar plants to better take on balancing responsibilities. This will also push for new solutions combining solar & storage.
A real market for selling and procuring flexibility services must be developed, both at transmission and distribution levels.
a. Distributed energy resources should have full market access, being able to stack value across existing and new markets wherever appropriate.
b. Minimum sizing requirements should be reduced
c. Products on the ancillary services markets should properly value the high accuracy, fast response, synthetic inertia etc. that storage can provide.
d. Contract durations in ancillary service markets should not be unnecessarily short as such durations may penalise potential solutions with high CAPEX or which cannot easily be redesigned to suit short contract durations.
e. DSOs should have the right to procure flexibility services from transmission and distribution level.
A clear basis regarding rules and circumstances under which TSOs and DSOs may operate storage solutions must be developed.
Targeted solar tenders can incorporate as a weighting selection criteria the co-location of solar & storage (for instance on islands). The ability to avoid grid congestion might be a lever for deploying storage solutions.
The exchange of electricity on a community scale via collective selfconsumption schemes must be possible for active consumers. Third party intermediaries should be allowed to operate active consumers’ electricity storage devices via pooling platforms, such as virtual power plants or peer-to-peer mechanisms.
Clear rules regarding data transparency and access for all stakeholders are required: Data transparency & access are foundational enablers for stakeholders to proactively develop innovations in grid design and operation that increase reliability as well as safety. Next to this, data access is an important pillar to advancing solar & storage solutions both at the consumer level (for determining economics) as well as at the grid level (for integrating distributed energy resources). Without data sharing, key stakeholders are sidelined from proposing new solutions that drive innovation and increase consumer choice.
REMUNERATION
Active consumers should be remunerated fairly for providing their devices to deliver services that support the electric grid. To achieve fair remuneration and service provision, tariffs must provide consumers and service providers with price signals to be able to act upon market developments and system needs.
Distribution grid tariffs must be “fit for the energy transition.” They should incentivise consumers to invest in technologies such as storage and advanced meters to allow the smartening of distributed solar PV by ensuring a balanced approach between volumetric and capacity-based grid tariffs. This balance can evolve over time (grid tariffs are set every 4 to 5 years on average in Europe) to accompany the progressive penetration of solar and storage.
source: http://www.solarserver.com

Monday, 28 November 2016

MHI, Hitachi Venture Eyes Africa, Latin America for Geothermal

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Ltd., a venture between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Hitachi Ltd., is eyeing Africa and Latin America to export its geothermal turbines, hoping to supply equipment for projects backed by Japan’s aid agency.
The company, which announced winning an order in October to supply a 55-MW turbine for a project in Costa Rica, is looking at countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, Mexico, Nicaragua and Ecuador, Yoshio Minato, geothermal area manager for Yokohama-based MHPS, said in an interview. In Asia, the venture is focusing on the Philippines and Indonesia, according to Minato.
“Drilling and exploration technologies have been improving on accuracy, and we expect the number of geothermal surveys will increase as countries explore their best energy mix” after the landmark Paris agreement to tackle climate change, Minato said.
Support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency has been key for geothermal projects abroad, Minato said. The agency has provided low-interest loans for the drilling of geothermal wells and construction.
“Geothermal wells cost a lot, and loans and coordination by JICA help us greatly to reduce risks,” Minato said.
Loan Agreement
In March, JICA signed a loan agreement with the Kenyan government to provide as much as 45.69 billion yen ($405 million) to build a 140-MW geothermal plant in Nakuru County in central Kenya, according to the JICA website.
MHPS is among companies bidding to supply equipment for the project, according to Minato.
JICA is also planning to be directly in charge of test drilling in countries such as Ecuador and Djibouti rather than funding governments of developing countries for the task.
“Test drilling is a bottleneck and hinders development because no one wants to take high risks,” Katsuya Kuge, senior deputy director of the energy and mining group at JICA, said by phone.
Meanwhile, MHPS is planning to build on its installed capacity of more than 100 units globally for retrofitting key components like turbine blades and rotors at aging geothermal plants, Minato said.
Three Japanese companies make up for about 65 percent of total installed capacity for geothermal turbines worldwide, according to data compiled by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Toshiba Corp. leads with 3,011 MW, followed by Fuji Electric Co.’s 2,722 MW and 2,661 MW for MHPS.
source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com

First Power Begins from Major UK Tidal Power Project MeyGen

Following its recent installation, first power has been achieved from a 1.5-MW turbine in the MeyGen tidal power project in Scotland — an opening volley in game-changing development pitched to become the world’s largest tidal power array.
Installation of four 1.5 MW turbines (MeyGen Phase 1a) is taking place in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth, in the far north of Scotland and comes after successful placement of foundations in October.
Lead developer on MeyGen and global leader in the tidal power sector is Atlantis Resources, whose CEO, Tim Cornelius, stated: “This is the moment we have been working towards since we first identified the MeyGen site back in 2007, and I am immensely proud of and grateful for the remarkable team of people who have contributed to this milestone.”
He continued: “The success of this first phase is a foundation for the tidal industry to build upon to ensure we develop a new energy sector which can deliver clean, predictable and affordable power from the UK’s own abundant resources. When it comes to energy, we think consumers should be asking for the moon, and we know how to harness it.”
The 6-MW capacity of Phase 1a pales in comparison to the full scope for the MeyGen project though.
Speaking to Renewable Energy World, Cornelius said: “We’re underway with a very successful construction campaign offshore with installation of the first four 1.5-MW turbines within Phase 1a. Installation is due to be completed before the end of the year.”
He said that this part of the installation is only the precursor to rolling out the rest of the array to about 261 turbines in total.
“With capacity of 398 MW, it will be the largest tidal array in the world. We expect to announce first power towards the end of this year,” he said.
Of the significance of MeyGen Phase 1a for marine energy industry, Lindsay Roberts, senior policy manager at Scottish Renewables, told Renewable Energy World: "Scotland has been at the forefront of tidal energy innovation for many years, from design to testing, and now — with the MeyGen project — deployment.
source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com

EU clears Czech renewable energy support scheme

The European Commission said on November 28 that it has approved a support scheme for installations producing renewable energy built in the Czech Republic between 2006 and 2012 under EU state aid rules.
According to the Commission, in line with the applicable 2001 and 2008 Commission environmental guidelines, the support takes the form of a preferential prices (feed-in tariffs) and premiums on top of the market price (green bonuses).
The measure also incorporates a review mechanism, which ensures that installations are not overcompensated and aid is limited to the minimum necessary to achieve the scheme’s objectives.
The Czech Republic has also committed to investing around €20 million in interconnection projects.
The Commission concluded that, in line with EU objectives, the measure helps the Czech Republic to achieve its 2020 renewable energy targets. The review mechanism and interconnector investments ensure that potential distortions of competition brought about by the public financing are limited.
source: https://www.neweurope.eu

Toshiba Promotes Move to Hydrogen Economy with Construction of Integrated Hydrogen Application Center

Toshiba Corporation recently broke ground on a new Hydrogen Application Center at its Fuchu Complex in western Tokyo. Scheduled to start operation in April 2017, the center will be built around a newly designed H2One™ hydrogen power system that will use renewable energy to produce hydrogen and supply it to fuel-cell powered forklifts operating in Fuchu Complex. Fuel cells can be quickly refueled and are available 24 hours a day, a clear advantage over batteries.Mr. Hiroyuki Ota, Project Manager of Toshiba’s Energy Systems and Solutions Company noted: “The Hydrogen Application Center is a stepping stone to building a new business. We will utilize experience and know-how gained from the Hydrogen Application Center to develop and deliver a H2One™ for use in factories, warehouses, logistics facilities and airports. We want to make Fuchu Complex an environmental model factory for the realization of a carbon-free society where hydrogen energy is widely used.”

The system is controlled by Toshiba’s groundbreaking hydrogen energy management system, H2EMS™, which includes a new hydrogen demand prediction function that forecasts supply requirements for fuel cell vehicles, allowing space saving optimization of the area devoted to hydrogen storage. Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Company continues to contribute to the global expansion of hydrogen energy solutions, and the transition to a low-carbon hydrogen economy.

source: http://www.eqmagpro.com

Two companies chosen for generating electricity through green power projects from urban waste in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad-based Abellon CleanEnergy Ltd and Mumbai-based A2Z Maintenance will build two green power projects in the city by using urban waste for generating electricity. The plants would get urban waste from Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and take about two years to complete the project. The corporation will also provide land at a concessional rate and earn an annual fee from the private companies. AMC plans to set up four such power projects that would together generate 15-20MW in the city.

Tanzanian company DB Shapriya & Co will construct one plant for A2Z Maintenance, an official email said. Abellon CleanEnergy did not respond to ET’s email. Responding to an email query, Kishore Shapriya, chairman of DB Shapriya said “Yes, once the necessary clearances are at places, the construction activities will soon commence at Ahmedabad.” AMC commissioner Guruprasad Mohapatra said the city generates 4,000 metric tonne urban waste daily. The plants will have an initial power generation capacity of 15-20 mega watts each and AMC has allocated 2,500 metric tonne to each of them. As per an estimate, 1,000 tonnes of waste is equivalent to 100 truck loads.

DB Shapriya’s India-based statutory auditor, Tejas Chokshi said “We will use international construction standards to reduce maintenance and downtime as well as due increase life of the assets (plant).” According to the sources, estimated cost for setting up 2.5 MW would be Rs 25 crore, as standard cost for setting up 1MW is Rs 10 crore. The municipality has plans to set up four such power projects that would in total generate 15MW to 20MW from the waste collected in Ahmedabad city.

Source:EEI

GE to assess renewables integration, energy storage in India

IL&FS Energy Development Company has selected GE to study the feasibility of integrated wind, solar, and energy storage projects in Ramagiri, Andhra Pradesh and Nana Layja, Gujarat, India.The initiative is in line with trade outlines made during the US-India Business Council Summit of 2015 which included plans of investing around $2bn in renewable energy projects in India.IL&FS Energy managing director Sunil Wadhwa said: “Energy storage technologies are essential to the integration of renewables. They help to address the variability of wind and solar PV generation and make renewable energy more acceptable to the grid.

“For commercial deployment of these technologies, a robust regulatory framework needs to be in place. The flexibility and cost reductions that energy storage technologies provide to grid infrastructure would allow India to achieve an efficient, low-carbon intensity trajectory. The current challenge, however, is to address the initial high cost through a regulatory framework.”Last year, IL&FS Energy had entered into a grant agreement with the the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to conduct a techno-economic feasibility study to find out the best possible way of integrating wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) installations with energy storage solutions so as to create dispatchable, utility-scale renewable energy projects.

Under the study, GE will design a wind, solar and energy storage plant, provide estimates of its capital and operational costs and develop a business plan that would include viability gap funding which is required for project commercialization.GE Energy Consulting business technical director Sundar Venkataraman said: “Energy storage can be particularly helpful for integrating variable renewable generation in India since the technical infrastructure and market mechanisms available at the disposal of many other power grids are not yet available in the country.

“As the costs start to come down, energy storage will become an integral part of India’s grid.

“By taking a look at the impact of renewable integration with energy storage systems on India’s power grid, we can provide valuable information to help the country best design its future grid.”GE hopes to complete the project by mid-2016.Last month, GE won a contract from Belgian Eco Energy to construct a 100% biomass-fired power plant in Ghent.The plant will be powered by wood chips and agro residues. It can generate about 215MW of clean energy for the industry as well as for nearby households.

Source:cleantechnology

Cabinet gives ex-post facto approval to the MOU between India and Japan for promoting sustainable, stable and low-carbon thermal power development in India

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi recently granted ex-post facto approval to the MOU between India and Japan for promoting sustainable, stable and low-carbon thermal power development in India.

The signing of the MOU will help India to address issues and barriers in promoting sustainable, stable and low-carbon thermal power development that have been identified through the preceding Pre-Primary Study and the on-going cooperation towards Energy Efficient Renovation & Modernization as well as new power development, by means of diagnostic activities to support Renovation and Modernization (R&M) materialization and implementation, knowledge and technology exchange activities to support Clean Coal Technology (CCT) for thermal power plants such as Ultra Super Critical (USC) and other environmental technologies, all of which will be conducive to overall power development for India as well as to facilitate relevant policy implementation.

The proposal includes undertaking of activities like:

a. Update on the current and future policy trend in Indian power sector with wide coverage from R&M and Life Extension(LE) to new power development in India and consideration of the identified barriers to find out those which could be addressed through mutual collaboration by the Central Electricity Authority(CEA) and Japan Coal Energy Centre(JCOAL).

b. Identification of issues to be addressed regarding both existing and upcoming facilities, and also operation and maintenance at either of them.

c. Implementation of full-fledged diagnosis and/or other available and effective measures including Residual Life Assessment (RLA) and Conditional Assessment (CA) study with priorities on, but not limited to the target power stations under the Pre-Primary Study and the Cooperation.The number of target power station(s)/unit(s) will be decided through mutual consultation by CEA and JCOAL.

d. Consideration of justifiability and feasibility of individual cases of power development based on thermal power generation technologies in terms of funding from the existing financial instruments and/or other available bilateral financial schemes.

e. Consideration of possibilities for acquisition of carbon credits with bilateral/multilateral offset schemes that are anticipated to be materialized in the future upon consideration of financial side of individual cases of power development.

f. Implementation of an annual workshop in India and CCT Transfer Programme in Japan for bilateral knowledge and technology exchanges.

g. Hold an annual joint meeting attended by representatives of the Parties to discuss issues that have arisen or may arise in the course of implementation of the Project, in order to enhance the effect of the Project. Any relevant party/stakeholder may also attend the meeting as special invitees as agreed on by the Parties.

source: http://www.eqmagpro.com

SolarSuperState Association forecast: 1,300 GW of solar PV capacity will be installed in 2021 globally

SolarSuperState expects 1,300 GW of solar PV generation capacity to be installed in 2021 globally

On November 24^th, 2016 the SolarSuperState Association (Zurich, Switzerland) published its Annual Report 2015 with a 5 year forecast of its president Wolfgang Hein for cumulative global capacities of solar photovoltaics (PV) power.

According to Hein 1,300 GW of solar photovoltaic generation capacity will be installed in 2021 globally (2015: some 230 GW).

The forecast is based on the assumption of an average annual growth rate of the net annual additions of 50% per year in the five year period 2017–2021.

“Making global warming and the phase-out of fossil and nuclear fuels the first political priorities would require a substantial higher annual growth rate than 50% per year,” Hein says.

“In order to avoid the collapse of the global economy as a result of massive climate change and the following migration, the short term shift to renewable energies is necessary.”

A political option to alter national energy systems

Austria, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan and the United States of America have gained within the last 110 years two times significant political experience to alter their whole national economies within five years, he added.

At these times, the goal of the economic changes was to win a world war (I and II). This time scale should be regarded as one political option that states still have today which was pointed out already by Preben Maegaard in his introduction to the Annual Report 2012 (page 4). This unique opportunity to change to renewable energies will not exist forever, the association notes.

“This opportunity can vanish within the next few years or decades. Then, it might be impossible to prevent the biggest negative impacts of Global Warming. Going fast for renewable energies is impossible for every state and every company that wants to maintain a high level of nuclear or fossil energy business within its own area of responsibility,” reads the press release.

Since nuclear energy is incompatible with the fast implementation of renewable energies, the fast expansion of renewables could mean short-term bankruptcies of for example major electric utilities with a lot of nuclear or fossil energy production capacity, SolarSuperState concludes.

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Upsolar and partners deploy floating PV test system in Singapore

Upsolar is one of eight other companies selected to install its PV panels

Upsolar (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of Upsolar (Shanghai, China), a provider of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and services, Koine, a design company specializing in floating technology, and Upsolar's local installation partner CW, recently deployed a floating PV system at Tengeh Reservoir in Singapore.

The PV system is part of the joint project overseen by the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) and spearheaded by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, as part of Singapore's green initiatives to assess the viability of using floating PV systems.

Upsolar is one of eight other companies selected to install its PV panels that will eventually produce close to 100 kW of electricity when connected to the national grid.

The panels are mounted on a floating structure designed by Koine Multimedia, and the installation was conducted by CW Group in October 2016.

The joint project aims at providing valuable insights into the cost, benefits and challenges of floating PV systems where SERIS will analyze the solar PV system, and PUB will study the effects on the surrounding water environment.

source: http://www.solarserver.com

GCL Chairman Zhu Gongshan named president of Global Solar Council's new committee

Zhu Gongshan: “It's my greatest honor to be the President of GSC's second committee. I promise to leave no stone unturned to promote the global development of the PV industry”

Zhu Gongshan, Chairman of Golden Concord Holdings Limited (GCL, Suzhou, China, GCL System Integration Technology's parent company), was recently elected president of the second committee of the Global Solar Council (GSC), the world's largest cooperation platform in the photovoltaics (PV) industry. Zhu will lead the Council from December 2017 to December 2019.

In Zhu's acceptance speech, he expressed his hope that GSC will play a positive role in promoting the PV industry's development around the globe, by improving policy, technology, and investment simultaneously.

Specifically, he suggested that GSC could integrate resources among different countries and districts by sharing successful operating experiences and business models between developed markets and emerging markets.

Earlier this October, Zhu invited global industry leaders to join the International Forum on Energy Transition and took them to visit the “Future Energy Forum” built by GCL.

“In the near future, we will seek to initiate more theme activities in Southeast Asia, Western Asia, Africa, and Latin America, to support and promote photovoltaics' development in those emerging markets,” Zhu said.

GSC to ease “malignant” competition and form a solar power development fund

Under Zhu's leadership, GSC will also target standardized market development, easing “malignant” competition, resolving trade disputes, and driving a healthy industry ecosystem.

Moreover, Zhu suggested that GSC will make practical efforts, such as forming a solar power development fund, to drive financial innovation.

source: http://www.solarserver.com

JinkoSolar receives IEC TS 62941 PV industry technical specification certification

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China) on November 28^th, 2016 announced that its Shangrao production facility received IEC TS 62941 photovoltaic (PV) industry technical specification certification.

IEC TS 62941 specification was launched in early 2016 and is administered by the International Electro Commission (IEC) to certify the quality of photovoltaic module manufacturers’ management systems.

IEC TS 62941 technical certification is based on ISO9001 or equivalent quality management system but adds on a few additional requirements.

IEC TS 62941 creates higher industry standards for photovoltaic module product design, development, product certification, process control, key raw material control, procurement, product testing/monitoring, documents and other aspects.

TUV NORD, who assessed JinkoSolar as a third party, specifically highlighted the outstanding system planning and organization of JinkoSolar’s Shangrao production facility.

“Receiving IEC TS 62941 certification demonstrates the level of quality that JinkoSolar’s modules are known for internationally as well as its stringent production standards ,” commented Huang Zhongpei, JinkoSolar’s Quality Center Vice President.

“With this certification, JinkoSolar will be able to continue improving its quality, reliability, service quality and customer satisfaction with standards that are recognized internationally.”

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Grupo Clavijo completes two PV installations for Sonnedix in Puerto Rico

The Oriana PV plants were each completed within five months Grupo Clavijo notes

Grupo Clavijo (Viana, Spain) has supplied all of the fixed structures for the Oriana I and Oriana II solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, with capacities of 28.62 and 29.03 MW respectively, in the municipality of Isabela, Puerto Rico, which are owned by Sonnedix.

The dual-column structures used were installed with a tilt angle of up to 20˚ in certain areas and robustly designed in accordance with the local conditions, being based near the sea. Their design means that they can be seamlessly adapted to the terrain and are quick and easy to assemble, reads the press release.

source: http://www.solarserver.com

Sunday, 27 November 2016

Microsoft saves $10 mn yearly through 7.5 mn of carbon offset

More than $10 million has been saved every year and emissions reduced by the equivalent of 7.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide through investments in energy efficiency, green power and carbon offset community projects, software giant Microsoft says in a new report.

The company, which set a voluntary internal carbon fee four years ago, says its carbon-neutral initiatives have impacted more than 3.2 million people in emerging nations.

It has purchased more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours of ‘green power’ for lighting up its offices since July 2012.

These facts came to light in its white paper that was released at the just concluded COP-22 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Marrakech in Morocco.

“We seek to serve as a model in our commitment to environmental sustainability by delivering on our carbon neutrality commitment and uncovering new ways technology can help us better understand our planet,” says the paper, quoting Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

It says the company’s goal is to reach a point where all greenhouse gas emissions are safely absorbed by healthy forests, soils, and other natural or nature-based infrastructure.

“Since we implemented the carbon fee (July 2012), we have reinvested a portion of the carbon fee investment fund into our company through a range of internal carbon reduction initiatives, such as lighting equipment upgrades and e-waste recycling,” says the paper.

“Specifically, part of the cost of energy that we consume from carbon-based sources is ultimately redirected to invest in projects that reduce the environmental impact of our operationally controlled facilities.”

The paper says that since the launch of the programme, the company has funded over 60 projects in 23 countries by investing more than $2 million.

To establish the price on carbon, the company has a Carbon Neutral Council, a cross-corporate group that provides feedback on and buy-in to the programme.

To retire its e-waste appropriately, the company has recycled over 4,00,000 assets and reused over 350,000 assets in the US alone.

The programme also supports additional recycling and reuse in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

To light up its offices, the company is switching over to renewable sources.

In November 2013, the company signed a long-term agreement with RES Americas to purchase 100 percent of the energy from the Keechi Wind Project, a 110-megawatt facility in Texas. Similar pacts were also signed with other renewable companies.

Source:business-standard

Anne Hidalgo Damrémont visit the school, which benefited from the energy performance contract from the City of Paris

The energy efficiency actions carried out in this school are part of an energy performance contract (EPC) 140 Parisian schools, launched by the City of Paris and funded by the community of € 84 million in the Program investment of the mandate. This contract was won in March 2016 by the group Engie Cofely (Engie Group) – ARTELIA Building & Industry (Group ARTELIA) following a call for tenders [1] . According to the specifications, and Engie ARTELIA it commit to a minimum 30% reduction in energy consumption through renovation of these facilities. 42 schools have already been renovated. Work will continue during the school holidays in 2017 and 2018.

This CPE is part of Climate Energy Plan launched by the City of Paris in 2012, the two main objectives are to reduce by 30% CO 2 and 30% the energy consumption of the municipal park. Suitable for architectural and thermal characteristics of each school, these actions relate to both:

building renovation, interior or exterior insulation, joinery review …;
renovation of boiler rooms;
the implementation of an intelligent system monitoring and remote control of energy performance, ensuring optimized management of consumption;
leveraging the innovative technologies of objects connected to the service of the energy transition to make buildings smarter and more energy-efficient .

On the occasion of this visit, Isabelle Kocher said: “Engie is pleased to contribute – through concrete solutions combining energy technologies and digital – the Climate Energy Plan of the City of Paris. This contract illustrates the logic of co-construction that we wish to work with all our customers. “

Clocheret Benedict said : “ARTELIA is proud to be a player in this partnership with the city of Paris. We contribute in particular to the design and management of work programs, and the energy performance. ” “The Energy Performance Contract of the City of Paris is unique, innovative and large, following the ambitions of our Energy Plan Climate and the Paris Agreement of December 2015. We are pleased that the little Parisians are the first to benefit, ” stated Alexandra Cordebard, Assistant to the Mayor of Paris in charge of school affairs, Celia Blauel, Assistant to the Mayor of Paris in charge of Climate Plan Territorial Energy, and Jean-Louis Missika, Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge urban planning and architecture.

Ensure the comfort of more than 21,000 students, teachers and municipal employees, throughout the year, is the first requirement of the project involves:

the change of the most antiquated boilers;
the establishment of self-balancing valves on each radiator, for homogenizing the temperature of each zone and ensure thermal comfort in all circumstances;
the temperature sensor installation and presence in every classroom and playground to heat only the really busy areas;
the establishment of a switch for heating in each class, allowing if necessary to return the reduced mode to comfort even outside the usual schedule.

The entire control of local (set temperature and time schedule) is grouped in a connected system that allows control consumption while ensuring occupant comfort.

Extensive work

Across the 140 schools, the scope of work that will be completed in 2018 is summarized in figures, with more than 1600 energy performance shares retained:

52 000 m 2 of revised joinery
20 500 m 2 of roof insulation
24 insulation of interior or exterior facades
53 modernized boiler
9160 LED lights installed
6800 thermostatic valves controlled remotely installed

For each school, work is scheduled on school holidays at once to minimize the inconvenience to students and teachers.

http://www.eqmagpro.com

EU-Romania Business Society Responds to Romania’s Draft National Energy Strategy

Romania’s Ministry of Energy last week published their draft 2016 – 2030 Energy Strategy blueprint seeking to build on strong existing foundations that help make Romania energy secure and have generated billions of dollars in foreign investment and export earnings for the Treasury.

The timing of the release was appropriate, against the backdrop of this week’s news that ING Bank has lowered the expected growth rate for Romania to 4.8%, and continued worries less than three weeks before elections about what can be done to boost public investment and jobs.

We at the EU-Romania Business Society welcome this comprehensive evaluation of the country’s energy needs and analysis of what is required by government and business to keep expanding its asset base. That is the key for continued national development.

The Government’s strategy highlights five important objectives: energy security, competitive energy markets based on a competitive economy, clean energy and a sustainable energy sector, the modernization of energy governance, the protection of vulnerable consumers and the reduction energy poverty.

We commend the thinking behind the strategy as well as its release in draft form, allowing the views and response of experts, policy groups, investors and the public to be taken into account.

While we welcome creation of the strategy document and introduction of the forward-looking agenda, we must also highlight areas of concern where government actions in 2016 could in fact undermine their own model for transformation before it is even launched.

Romania’s priority action quite rightly emphasizes the need for greater resource security and competitive markets as a bedrock for Romania’s stable energy future – for continued growth. This should include a diversity of supply, as well as a safe investment climate and protection of current assets, with rule of law for investors.

Our community has serious concerns that the seizure of KMGI’s assets and the resulting uncertainty to Romania’s relations with Kazakhstan and other partners, could call into question how the Government intends to execute its plan. We worry what message is sent when one of the largest investors and exporters is put under such threat. If KMGI departs Romania, does that open the door for Russia and Iran to fill?

Resource security and national stability is helped a great deal by the contribution of Kazakhstan’s oil, which means Romania is not reliant on Russia. Current ratio proportions show about 60% Kazakh vs 35% Russian, where just a few years ago the numbers were reversed.

Moreover, Kazakhstan’s KazMunaiGas International (KMGI) accounts for 22mt per year of production in Romania. KMGI also provides more than 40% of the country’s total processing capacity. We have seen the figure of $1.4bn invested in Romania’s largest refinery, KMGI’s Petromedia over the years to reach EU standards of efficiency and operations.

The financial investments, private capital and public spending, needed to make the draft Strategy a reality, will be huge, and need to be made from a vantage point of partnership between the state and enterprise.

These imperatives are even more vital in the aftermath of international events impacting Romania and Europe, including Brexit and uncertainty around the election of Donald Trump – and his intended relationship with the EU, NATO and President Putin. Romania’s strong energy security and safety of supply is for private investors a precondition for directing capital into the country, extending business, and financing modernisation projects.

So real concerns over what the future looks like are being tangled with concerns regarding the business climate for investors. Disputes have been playing out between the Government with international private companies like CEZ, ENEL, E.ON and Raiffeisen in addition to KMGI. The reputation of Romania as a safe destination for foreign investment is a priority for Romanians and foreign investors alike.

We encourage the Government to restore the productive and mutually advantageous public-private partnerships that have served public administration and our enterprises committed to the country so well. Ultimately it is the citizens of Romania who have the most to gain from such cooperation.

Source:prnewswire

Solarcentury connects UK’s largest community-owned solar roof system

Solarcentury has installed a sizeable 712kW roof solar PV system for social enterprise Low Carbon Hub. The system has been built on the roof of a factory owned by CTG, a site of UTC Aerospace Systems, in Oxfordshire. The solar system will generate enough solar electricity to meet the energy consumption of 150 average-sized UK homes every year.

The roof of UTC’s modern building presented some complex challenges – Solarcentury had to ensure that the existing roof warranty was not invalidated. This required close communication with the roof manufacturer regarding compliance with Solarcentury’s PV mounting system. There were also specific health and safety considerations given the construction took place at a live working site. Crane lift operations were scheduled for weekends when the site was quieter. Over 60 roof lights, a major hazard when working at height, were covered to protect workers.

Suzanna Lashford, Head of UK Commercial Sales at Solarcentury commented, “Low Carbon Hub chose to work with Solarcentury for this project because of our extensive EPC experience – the company was ranked earlier this year as the number 1 EPC contractor in the UK. We also have considerable experience of working with community energy groups – we have now delivered similar community-owned projects for several co-operatives around the UK.”

The construction phase took just three weeks although a typical build time for a system of this size would be around 4-5 weeks. The speedy install was helped by Solarcentury’s positive relationship with the installation contractor, as well as careful planning, organising and excellent communication between all project partners.

Tim Crisp, Business Project Manager, Low Carbon Hub said, “This is the second community energy project we have completed with Solarcentury. You’ll see from the stunning footage of the installation how beautiful the solar system looks – it was also skilfully planned, procured and executed. We’re looking forward to working with Solarcentury again to develop more energy for public good.”

Source:solarcentury

Sweden to ditch tax on solar energy in renewables push

Sweden is set to ditch taxes on its production of solar energy in 2017 in a bid to run entirely on renewable energy by 2040, the government said on Monday.

Solar energy is currently marginal in the Nordic nation, accounting for less than 0.1 percent of electricity production. Sweden relies mostly on hydropower (39 percent) and nuclear power (36 percent).

The finance ministry said in a statement that the production of solar electricity for own use would be entirely exempt from taxes. Electricity providers would meanwhile only be taxed 500 kronor (51 euros) per megawatt hour, which is a 98-percent reduction from the current level.

“This makes fast investments possible,” Social Democratic Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson said.

The proposal is likely to be adopted by parliament, with the centre-right opposition having criticized the minister for her lack of ambition with regards to renewable energy investments.

The move must also be approved by the European Commission in Brussels, which aims to boost the EU’s share of renewable energy to at least 20 percent of consumption.

Source:thelocal

Haryana to set up 133 MW solar plants

The Haryana government will set up solar power plants of 133 MW capacity by using ground and roof tops in the state, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said today. Inaugurating a Rs 57.67 crore solar power plant of 10 MW capacity set up by Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited in the complex of Thermal Power Plant here, he said the plant which has been set up on 48 acres of land will generate 180 lakh units of electricity in a year.

He said that the people would get environment friendly and pollution-free electricity through this system of power generation. The government is working on a plan to generate 4000 MW solar electricity by the year 2022, he said.

He said that the solar plant set up in Golden Jubilee year would not only save the fuel generated from traditional energy sources but would also prove a milestone in environment friendly power generation.

He said that advance management activities for solar power projects have been started. The Chief Minister said that government has been making efforts to generate maximum electricity through solar energy.

For this, he said that government provides subsidy on solar energy appliances for domestic use to various organisations and institutions. Besides, government has also been making efforts to install solar energy enabled equipments in government buildings so as to reduce the pollution and promote greenery, he said.

Source:PTI

Centre ayes 3 mega solar plants in state

The central government has sanctioned three solar ultra mega power projects in the state. One of them will come up in Vidarbha while the other two will be in Marathwada and Khandesh. An eleven member committee under principal secretary (energy) had been set up to identify the sites for these plants. A Mahagenco official said that the installed capacity of each of these plants would be 500MW. “The central government has set a target of generating 1.75 lakh MW through new and renewable energy sources by 2022. Of this the share of solar power is 1 lakh MW. The state government has therefore decided to increase solar generation in the state,” he said.

The state government had announced an integrated non-conventional energy policy in July 2015. It had set a target of creating 7,500MW solar capacity by 2020. “The central government has announced a solar ultra mega power project policy under which the agencies setting up such plants will get a large number of incentives. The state government sent a proposal for setting up three such plants of 500MW capacity, which has been approved,” he further said. According to the official the biggest challenge before the state government was providing land at affordable rates to the private investor. “A 500MW solar plant will require 2,500 acre land and hence the land cost is an important parameter. The committee headed by principal secretary (energy) will select the sites keeping this factor in mind,” he added.

The other members of the committee are: Director general of Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA), managing directors of MSEDCL, Mahatransco and Mahagenco, etc. The state government is promoting solar energy in a big way. It has allowed private individuals and organizations to set up solar power plants in their premises for their own consumption. Under the solar roof top grid connected policy, the consumer can get both solar and MSEDCL supply. The government is providing solar agricultural pumps to farmers where power infrastructure is not available. It has now decided to set up dedicated solar agricultural feeders for catering to between 800 and 1,000 farmers. The cost of solar power has come down sharply in last ten years making it affordable.

Source:TOI

The Wind Beneath The Wings Of India’s Green Energy Target

Wind energy has been identified as a potential response to India’s crucial power challenges since the 1990s. After a good 25 years, we still await the full potential of this renewable source of power to be realised. Currently generating just over 28 GW, the wind power sector has undergone a major shift in India. From being an investment that provides tax credits to mainstream Independent Power Producers (IPPs), the sector still leaves much more avenues to be explored.

The current scenario

The union budget of 2015 saw the government quadrupling the target of renewable energy to 175 GW by 2022—split between 100 GW solar, 60 GW wind, 10 GW biomass and 5 GW small-hydro power. With renewable energy becoming a major focus of the government, policymakers, along with field experts, are increasingly waking up and taking stock of the true potential of wind power. Wind farms are being set up with the latest technology, large-scale MW-class wind turbines, inclusive operation and maintenance practices for sustainable plant life, logistics tools for construction, while maintaining seamless grid integration.

The new draft of the renewable energy law that was tendered last year puts forward institutional support that’s required to achieve renewable energy goals. The National Renewable Energy Committee, the National Renewable Energy Advisory Group, and the Renewable Energy Corporation of India are all examples of this support. A plan is also in place to build supporting ecosystems that include resource assessment, testing facilities and monitoring and verification programs. Policies are also in place to boost local manufacturing.

Opportunities and challenges

While the 2022 energy targets look well within reach, any delays and setbacks could be detrimental.

The Indian Wind Energy Association has estimated that with the current level of technology, the “on-shore” potential for utilising wind energy to generate electricity is pegged at 102 GW. The nature of this unexploited resource’s availability presents a potential that can be sustained to grow the wind-energy sector in the country for many years in the future. The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also pledged to achieve 60 GW of wind energy capacity by 2022. Eight wind turbine manufacturers also committed themselves to manufacture over 36 GW of wind turbines in the same period.

As of today, wind is at parity with other forms of power and old perceptions such as “renewables are expensive” or “unreliable” need to be updated as per current technology norms. The industry has gained from improvements in drive-train technology, tower structure and use of advanced power electronics, all of which add to the cost-effectiveness of wind power generation. Adopting technology and manufacturing in India will also help bring costs down further, while reducing debt costs.

Room for growth

As the sector gets more competitive, companies need to innovate constantly to stay on top of their game, while working continuously to be an attractive bet for investors, customers, employees, be recognized by the larger Indian community, and be respected among key influencer constituents such as the media and policymakers.

The focus of the industry must remain on leveraging a skilled workforce, continued technology development, a robust transmission setup and consistent investments for on-time commissioning of projects. Demand drivers for the wind-energy sector remain favourable in the long run, supported by strong policy support from the government, both at the centre and in key states, a favourable regulatory framework in the form of RPO (renewable purchase obligation) regulations, and an overall cost competitiveness of wind-based energy compared to conventional energy sources.

Hub heights and rotor diameter of wind projects have increased substantially in the last two decades, while the average Wind Turbine Rating (WTG) rating increased by almost ten-fold. Boosting the level of energy generated per turbine, this also reduces the overall cost of electricity. However, the top-end rotor and hub height installed for WTGs in India still has room for improvement.

With the use of lightweight materials such as carbon-fibre, better aerodynamic profiles, on-site manufacturing, segmented blades and variable diameter rotors, costs are expected to come down, while pushing the capacity factor. A U.S. Department of Education study suggests that adoption of advanced technologies can increase energy output to the tune of up to 61% with small changes in capital cost between 36-21%.

India needs to shift to non-polluting, renewable sources of energy. While the demand for electricity is expected to go up, there’s an economic as well as environmental reason why we must make this shift. Solar and wind energy represent a bright spot for India’s economic future. A renewable energy-powered future. We are on the cusp of this future and no other renewable energy source has attained the level of maturity that wind power has. This power, if used to its full potential, can take India’s growth to unchartered shores.