India’s uniquely complex bidding quagmire
Gujarat has asked winning bidders in its May 2019 wind auction for 1,000 MW projects to match the lowest tariff of INR 2.80/ kWh bid by Enerfra, a local developer. Seven other winners including Adani,...
View ArticleRooftop solar growing rapidly but needs nurturing
India is estimated to have added new rooftop solar capacity of 1,836 MW in FY 2018-19, up a remarkable 61% over previous year. Total installed capacity is estimated at 4,375 MW as on 31 March 2019....
View ArticleFAME-II scheme – ambitious vision, poor planning
In March 2019, the Indian government announced the much-awaited phase II of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme after delaying its announcement for...
View ArticleHydrogen makes inroads into the global energy mix
Last month, the International Energy Agency (IEA) declared 2019 a critical year for hydrogen and stated that it has a key role in a clean, secure and affordable energy future. Hydrogen is potentially...
View ArticleOne year of safeguard duty fails to produce any results
It is nearly a year since announcement of safeguard duty on import of PV cells and modules. To recap, the Indian government enforced duties on all imports from China, Malaysia and all developed...
View ArticleMinistry of Power looking to act tough on DISCOMs
The Ministry of Power (MOP) and MNRE have issued a couple of emphatic orders to tackle the growing DISCOM payment crisis. The first is an MOP order in end June instructing State Load Despatch Centres...
View ArticleSterling & Wilson successfully completes its IPO
Sterling & Wilson Solar (S&W) has become a rare success story in the Indian renewable energy sector by becoming the first company in many years to successfully complete an IPO. The share sale...
View ArticleRooftop solar tenders pick up again
After a slow 2017-18, rooftop solar tender issuance activity picked up again in 2018-19. Central and state government agencies issued a total of 804 MW (CAPEX 291 MW, OPEX 513 MW) of rooftop solar...
View ArticleSECI reworks the PPA template
SECI has issued a new 1,200 MW ISTS (inter-state transmission system)-based tender. The tender includes two significant changes from the typical template. For the first time ever, the choice of...
View ArticleMinistry of Power to review power procurement model
The Ministry of Power has constituted a new panel to examine “deepening of the power markets in India.” The panel comprises representatives from the Ministry of Power, CERC (India’s chief power...
View ArticleC&I energy storage has a bright future
Energy storage is slated to play a critical role in supporting rapid expansion of variable RE in the grid while ensuring its stability and security. While a number of grid-scale solar-storage hybrid...
View ArticleUndersubscription becoming a norm
Two auctions were completed last week by SECI for a 1,800 MW wind tender and a 1,200 MW solar tender respectively. Both were heavily undersubscribed and received only two responses each: wind – CLP...
View ArticleThe renewable energy bull run is over
Last week, we stated that investor interest in the RE sector has fallen sharply in the last 12 months. In the wake of increasing costs and execution risks, difficulties in getting debt financing and...
View ArticleForecasting regulations a tough proposition for developers
In response to a petition filed by the Indian Wind Power Association (IWPA), the Rajasthan High Court has recently upheld validity of the forecasting and scheduling regulations. The IWPA had...
View ArticleSlowdown bites hard
India’s total installed solar capacity touched 34,154 MW on 30 June 2019. This capacity is split between utility scale, rooftop solar and off-grid solar as 27,934 MW, 4,960 MW and 1,260 MW...
View ArticleCustoms duty bazooka for module manufacturing
After failure of all previous and ongoing policy initiatives to kickstart domestic manufacturing of solar modules, MNRE has recommended imposition of basic customs duty on import of all solar PV...
View ArticleRooftop solar O&M needs urgent policy intervention
Indian rooftop solar market grew at an estimated CAGR of 83% over past three years. While the market grows rapidly, operation and maintenance (O&M) provision is often ignored. Specialist rooftop...
View ArticleProject execution slowdown to continue
Utility scale renewable capacity addition has been in a slow mode for the past eighteen months. We estimate Q3 2019 capacity addition at only 2,549 MW (solar 2,114, wind 435), about two-thirds of...
View ArticleImproving prospects of residential rooftop solar market
Last week, Amplus Solar announced a foray into the residential rooftop solar market. The company, so far focused only on C&I consumers, plans to offer standard rooftop solar solutions backed by a...
View ArticleSector reform essential to build growth momentum
A mini-controversy broke out last week with Indian credit rating and advisory company CRISIL issuing a report claiming that India would under-achieve the 175 GW renewable capacity target for March...
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