India not doing enough to capture energy storage opportunity
After squeezing global solar module manufacturers out of business, China is at it again. It is using every trick available – government subsidies, domestic quotas, restriction on foreign players and...
View ArticleBidding behavior in the Indian solar sector not sustainable
Last week, BRIDGE TO INDIA launched its latest report: “Analysis of utility scale solar tenders in India”. This report examines recent bidding history for all PPA-based, open category tendered projects...
View ArticleLaunching BTI India Solar Price indices
BRIDGE TO INDIA is launching India Solar Price Indices, a series of indices to track and monitor key price trends in the Indian solar market. Our objective is to publish pricing data specifically...
View ArticleUrgent reform needed to achieve energy sector transformation in India
The Indian power sector is in early stages of transformation from coal-centric generation to variable renewable power generation (refer). This transformation will pose several daunting commercial and...
View ArticleUDAY has been successful in achieving its most important objective
It has been nearly eighteen months since the Ministry of Power announced the vital Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme for financial and operational reform of power distribution companies...
View ArticleRenewable capacity addition catches up with thermal power in India
Energy transformation has arrived in India. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), India’s total renewable capacity including solar, wind, bio-mass and small hydro grew by around...
View ArticleMore to Indian solar tariffs than meets the eye
India achieved a record low solar tariff of INR 3.29 (US¢ 5.1)/kWh in the Rewa tender in February. That record was surpassed last week in an auction conducted by National Thermal Power Corporation...
View ArticleCompetition in the Indian solar market intensifies further
First round of bids was submitted for Solar Energy Corporation of India’s (SECI’s) 750 MW tender in Bhadla Solar Park, Rajasthan last week. A total of 33 developers are believed to have submitted bids...
View ArticleIndia wants all new cars beyond 2030 to be electric
“We are going to introduce electric vehicles in a very big way,” India’s Minister of Power, Piyush Goyal, stated last week. The Ministry of Heavy Industries and the NITI Aayog are working on a...
View ArticleWhich states will drive India’s next round of solar demand?
The pace of new tender announcements and completed auctions has slowed down significantly in the last year (-68% and -59% respectively). Southern states have frontloaded capacity buildout – Andhra...
View ArticleIndian solar tariffs fall 25% in three months
Last week, Solar Energy Corporation of India’s (SECI) 750 MW utility scale auction in Bhadla solar park saw tariffs fall to a new astounding low of INR 2.44 (US¢ 3.79)/ kWh. This comes after much...
View ArticleGST to cause significant disruption to the solar sector
The Indian government has released final Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates under the new indirect tax regime proposed to be rolled out from July 1. The biggest surprise for the power and renewable...
View ArticleSouthern region to lead the nation in grid integration of renewable energy
India’s southern region comprising Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala accounts for 25% of national power consumption but 45% of total wind and solar power capacity in the...
View ArticleSolar modules to be taxed at 5% under GST as against 18% declared earlier
Last week, we wrote that the proposed 18% Goods and Service Tax (GST) on solar modules could cause major disruption in the industry and affect over 10 GW of projects. Following uproar in the industry,...
View ArticleRenewable sector to ‘trump’ Trump
“In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord,” US President Donald Trump said last week. The move has already...
View ArticleGreenko, Trina Solar and ABB lead in the Indian solar market
BRIDGE TO INDIA has released the March 2017 edition of India Solar Map. As per our project database, India installed 5.5 GW of utility scale solar capacity in the last fiscal year reaching total...
View ArticleGrowth in solar imports increasing the risk of a knee-jerk reaction by India
India imported 5.7 GW or about 89% of its total solar module requirement in FY 2016-17. Value of these imports is estimated at USD 3 billion, equivalent to 2.8% of the country’s total merchandise trade...
View ArticleGST launched but clarity still missing for the solar sector
Three days into implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Indian solar industry continues to face uncertainty regarding GST rates. We know that GST will be applied to solar modules at a...
View ArticleIs Uttar Pradesh ready for business?
Two months ago, we wrote about how Uttar Pradesh (UP) could be the dark horse for solar power demand in the country. Since then, the state has announced a 750 MW tender with Solar Energy Corporation of...
View ArticleIndian rooftop solar market growing at over 80% annually
BRIDGE TO INDIA has released its latest edition of the India Solar Rooftop Map report. As per the report, India added 678 MW of rooftop solar capacity in FY 2016-17, growing at 81% Y-o-Y. Total...
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