Page 8 - Solar Power

Goldi Solar offers rooftop installation to workers rescued in Uttarkashi

Gujarat-based Goldi Solar on Wednesday said it will install rooftop solar power system at the houses of the 41 workers rescued from the Silkyara tunnel collapse site in Uttarakhand. On Tuesday evening, rescue team pulled out all the 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel in a multi-agency rescue operation that hovered between hope and despair for almost 17 days. "With the nation celebrating safe returns of our brave workers who were trapped in Uttarkashi, we will support the affected families and individuals. Goldi Solar will power the residence of all the 41 workers with rooftop solar installations," the company said in a statement. Goldi Solar Founder and MD Ishver Dholakiya said, this initiative is a step to empowering these families with access to sustainable energy and hope for a brighter future. Goldi Solar is committed to helping underprivileged communities and contributing to their well-being. The company will bear the cost of the initiative, he ...

Current solar cycle intensity's peak in 2024, may impact Earth's satellites

The current ongoing solar cycle is likely to peak its intensity in 2024 and can potentially impact Earth's space weather, according to researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata. It is known that roughly every 11 years, the intensity of solar activity reaches its peak, which manifests as violent disturbances in space weather such as solar magnetic storms or coronal mass ejections, impacting Earth's satellites and telecommunications. "During intense solar storms, the Earth's upper atmosphere expands outwards, thereby introducing friction on the low-Earth satellites. The friction can lead to a decay in the satellites' orbits and reduce their lifetime. Thus, they are able to live in space for a much shorter time than they were originally supposed to," Dibyendu Nandy, the study's corresponding author and Professor of Physics and Head, Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India, IISER, Kolkata, told PTI. The researchers also said that the mos

Asian economies must ramp up solar power to keep global warming under 1.5C

To meet the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), nine major Asian economies must increase the share of electricity they get from renewable energy from the current 6% to at least 50% by 2030, according to a report by a German thinktank released Wednesday. Nearly a third of that renewable energy should come from wind and solar power, said the report by researchers of Berlin-based Agora Energiewende. A fifth would be hydropower and other clean sources and the remainder, fossil fuels. The study analyzed energy plans of both developing nations like Indonesia and Vietnam where demand for energy is growing rapidly, and wealthier places like Japan and South Korea, which have among the highest burdens of per capita greenhouse gas emissions. It did not include China, the world's biggest emitter of carbon, or India, another major contributor. A global temperature increase of 1.5C (2.7F) since pre-industrial times is considered a critical climate ...

Hinduja bags 250MW solar project in tariff-based competitive bidding

Hinduja Renewables on Monday said it has bagged a 250 MW solar project under a tariff-based competitive bidding by state-owned hydro power giant NHPC. "Hinduja Renewables was awarded by NHPC the tender for putting up a solar capacity of 250 MW at the tariff rate of Rs. 2.53/kWh," the Hinduja Group firm said in a statement. The consolidated project bid was for setting up a 3,000 MW Interstate Transmission System Connected Solar Power Projects anywhere in India. Hinduja Renewables was one of the eight bidders for the capacity. Sumit Pandey, the CEO of Hinduja Renewables, said, "With this winning bid, Hinduja Renewables would be able to reduce the carbon emissions equivalent of over 5,51,000 tons annually. Hinduja Renewables is well on its way to creating a multi-GW suite of renewables." Hinduja Renewables, part of the Hinduja Group, is an independent renewable power producer.

REC Q2 results: Profit soars by 39% to Rs 3,790 crore in Jul-Sep quarter

State-owned REC Ltd on Wednesday posted a nearly 39 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit to Rs 3,789.90 crore in the September quarter compared to the year-ago period mainly on the back of higher revenues. Consolidated net profit stood at Rs 2,732.12 crore in the quarter ended on September 30, 2022, a BSE filing showed. Total income rose to Rs 11,701.26 crore in the quarter from Rs 9,964.00 crore in the same period a year ago. The board also approved the second interim dividend of Rs 3.50 per equity share of Rs 10 each for 2023-24. The record date for the interim dividend is Monday, November 13, 2023. The interim dividend shall be paid on or before November 30, 2023. The total interim dividend for the 2023-24 is Rs 6.50 per equity share (on face value of Rs 10 each). In a separate statement, the company stated, "Owing to the improving asset quality, increase in lending rates and effective management of finance cost, the REC is able to record its highest ever (standalone) .

Amazon surpasses 1.1 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity in India

E-commerce and cloud company Amazon has surpassed 1.1 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity in India with an addition of its new 198-megawatt wind farm project in Osmanabad, Maharashtra, the company said on Tuesday. With this, the company now has 50 wind and solar projects across India. The announced addition of "a new 198 megawatt (MW) wind farm in Osmanabad, Maharashtra, bringing the company to 50 wind and solar projects across India and surpassing 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity." The company said that in addition to being the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy globally -- a position that Amazon has held since 2020 -- Amazon has also become the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in India. "Amazon's wind and solar projects will help power all our operations with 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025, while also bringing jobs and economic benefits to India's communities. "We're eager to continue contributing to India's economic and environmental

Will raise viability gap funding to 35% for RE: Int'l Solar Alliance

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is considering increasing the viability gap funding for renewable projects to 35 per cent, its President R K Singh said on Tuesday. Under the Viability Gap Funding (VGF), ISA provides 10 per of the project cost to the member nation for an identified Renewable Energy (RE) project. ISA has a programme for VGF, so funding is available for projects in developing countries, Singh, the Minister for New and Renewable Energy, said at the Sixth Session of International Solar Alliance Assembly. "Today we (member countries)... all the ministers together.. decided that we will increase the viability gap funding from 10 per cent to 35 per cent," he said. The move will enable more investments in the solar industry, Singh said. The ISA president said there are about 733 million people across the world who don't have access to electricity and it is the ISA's mission to ensure that they get access to renewable energy. "We have a mission to ensure access to t

18% electricity generated in India will be solar by 2030, says IEA

IEA's new World Energy Outlook 2023 published on Tuesday indicated that renewables would provide half of the world's electricity by 2030

Corporate funding in solar industry surges 55% to $28.9 bn: Mercom Capital

The corporate funding in the global solar sector rose 55 per cent to 28.9 billion during January-September 2023, mainly due to the push to meet energy transition objectives, Mercom Capital has said. The global corporate funding in the sector was USD 18.7 billion in the first nine months of 2022, the US-based research firm said in its latest report. Despite inflationary challenges and elevated interest rates, financing in the solar industry has remained robust through the first three quarters of 2023, Mercom Capital Group CEO Raj Prabhu said. "The resilience can be attributed to a strong global push to achieve energy transition objectives and substantial demand created by the Inflation Reduction Act - which has helped the sector weather persistent economic challenges and retain the interest of investors," he added. In the venture capital segment in India, Juniper Green Energy secured a USD 350 million investment from AT Capital Group and Vitol to achieve its target to triple its ...

Goldi Solar to add 1,000 MW to its operational capacity by Q3: MD Dholakiya

Goldi Solar will add another 1,000 MW to scale its operational capacity to 4,000 MW by December-end, its Managing Director Ishver Dholakiya has said. The company is also eyeing an order book of Rs 5,000 crore for the 2023-24 financial year, he added. "We are bullish on the solar market. There is a good demand for our products in domestic and international markets. Now, we are aiming for order bookings of over Rs 5,000 crore in the current fiscal from customers in India, the US, South America, Africa, Europe and the Gulf countries," Dholakiya said in reply to a question on exports. Besides, the company will make operational another 1,000 MW of capacity by the third quarter of this fiscal, the MD informed. Gujarat-based Goldi Solar has two solar module/panel manufacturing plants, totalling 3,000 megawatts (MW) in Pipodara and Navsari districts. The company is in the process of investing Rs 5,000 crore to double its module manufacturing capacity to 6,000 MW by 2026, besides setting u

Renewable tech can improve energy security by diversifying supply: IWTMA

Renewable technologies can improve energy security by diversifying power supply options, a senior official of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association said on Wednesday. The future lies in round the clock power through renewable energy. The solution lies in wind or solar energy equipment, the Association's secretary general D V Giri said in a release. "Renewable energy is providing affordable electricity and can also help stabilise energy prices in the future. Renewable technologies can also create a system less prone to market shocks and improve energy security by diversifying power supply options that are currently available," he said during the inaugural of the three-day "wind energy India 2023." Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Rajesh Lakhoni, Danish Ambassador to India Freddy Svane who were present on the occasion underscored the need for a collaboration, policy reforms and technology innovation to accelerate the ...

RSOLEC to invest $300 million into solar manufacturing venture in India

Renaissance Solar and Electronic Materials on Tuesday announced its solar manufacturing venture and a plan of USD 300 million investment in India. "Renaissance Solar and Electronic Materials (RSOLEC), an innovative solar enterprise with operations in India and the USA, today announced its official launch and establishment, accompanied by a significant planned investment of about USD 300 million," a company statement said. With global reach and expertise in differentiated solar and electronic materials manufacturing, RSOLEC is set to revolutionise the industry with a strategic focus on Solar Crystal Growth and Wafering, it stated. The launch of RSOLEC aligns with India's "Atmanirbhar Bharat" mission, showcasing the country's capabilities in the state-of-the-art solar value chain. The company's primary focus for the next five years will be on crystal growth and wafering in India, contributing significantly to the country's strategic solar manufacturing capacity, it stated. Over the

Adani plans to build 10 GW integrated solar manufacturing capacity by 2027

Billionaire Gautam Adani's group is planning to build 10 GW of integrated solar manufacturing capacity by 2027, as it looks to capture energy transition business, sources close to the company said. Adani Group currently has a solar manufacturing capacity of 4 GW. Adani Solar has a confirmed order book of over 3,000 MW in exports that are to be serviced over the next 15 months, they said, adding Adani, recently, raised USD 394 million for solar manufacturing from Barclays PLC and Deutsche Banks AG through a trade finance facility. While India scaled up its solar energy generation from 2.63 GW in March 2014 to 71.10 GW in July 2023, the manufacturing ecosystem did not match the pace. To change, the government adopted a two-pronged strategy - used trade and non-trade barriers, such as safeguard duty, an approved list of module manufacturers (ALMM), and a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. This gave Indian solar manufacturing the necessary impetus to encourage private players l

Tata Steel commissions floating solar power project in Jamshedpur works

Tata Steel on Friday commissioned a 10.8-MW capacity floating solar power project on the upper cooling pond of its Jamshedpur plant in Jharkhand. A total of 20.34 MW of solar projects have been commissioned in various facilities at Tata Steel in Jamshedpur, the company said in a statement. The floating solar project was commissioned by Tata Power under an agreement with the steel major for the installation of a total of 41MW with a combination of rooftop, floating and ground-mounted solar panels across its locations. Earlier, rooftop solar projects at the central warehouse, cold rolling mill, wire rod and hot strip mills, totalling 7.65 MW and a 2 MW ground-mounted solar project at Sonari Airport have already been commissioned.

India need subsidies to meet renewable energy targets: Energy Vault exec

Renewable electricity available at any time of the day and night "is sort of a holy grail," Piconi said. "It's not achievable with the current technologies, because they are not economical."

AmpIn Energy to set up 33 MW solar plant in Maha, signs pact with Varroc

AmpIn Energy Transition will set up a 33 megawatt solar power plant in Maharashtra to supply green energy to auto-components maker Varroc. A power purchase agreement (PPA) has been signed between the two companies in this regard, AmpIn said on Wednesday. "AmpIn Energy Transition and Varroc announce a partnership to harness 33.1 MWp of solar power for Varroc's manufacturing facilities in Maharashtra. The collaboration leverages AmpIn's solar portfolio in Maharashtra, inclusive of its state-of-the-art 105 Megawatt peak (MWp) solar park situated in Parbhani," the statement said. The company did not disclose the value of the project. The initiative is expected to fulfill 65-75 per cent of the power needed across seven manufacturing units of Varroc. The plant is anticipated to help reduce 43,296 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, Pinaki Bhattacharyya, CEO and MD of AmpIn, said. Tarang Jain, MD of Varroc, said, "through this alliance, we envisage a significant reduction in our carbon ...

Over 200 organisations call for tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030

A group of over 200 climate and energy organisations from around the globe issued an open letter on Monday, calling on world leaders and Parties to the Paris Agreement to set a global target of tripling renewable energy capacity to at least 11,000 gigawatts by 2030 at the upcoming COP28 in the UAE. This call to action coincides with the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week. The coalition of organisations, including Adani, American Greenpower, Ember, and the Energy Transition Commission, emphasised that achieving this goal, combined with increased energy efficiency, is the most rapid and cost-effective way to decarbonise the global economy and mitigate climate change. "Last year, power sector emissions reached an all-time high and the UN assessed that no country is currently on a credible pathway to (limiting global warming to) 1.5 degrees Celsius. It is clear that we need a profound course-correction of the energy system in this decade and time is running out," the open ...

UK firm secures lucrative order to supply Indian solar facility in Gujarat

A small cleantech firm in south-east England has secured a GBP 4 million order to supply its technology to a projected 2.0-gigawatt solar facility in Mundra, Gujarat, according to a top company official. Gas Recovery and Recycle Limited (GR2L), an MSME (micro small and medium enterprise) business in Surrey, claims to have developed, patented and exported cutting-edge technology to reduce the energy consumption, carbon footprint and cost of manufacturing solar panels. It was backed by UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK government's export credit agency, with a GBP 475,000 guarantee issued under its Bond Support Scheme that helped secure the Indian order. Building on our existing export successes, support from Lloyds Banks and UKEF helped us to secure this latest growth opportunity and further develop our established international presence. I look forward to commissioning our machinery by the end of 2023, said Rob Grant, CEO and founder of GR2L. With production of brand-new argon creati

Green funding: SBI to bundle home loans with rooftop solar installations

The country's largest lender SBI plans to bundle and make home loans with rooftop solar installations mandatory for residential projects funded from the bank's long term climate action funds drawn down from multilateral agencies. The SBI, which has a home loan book of over Rs 6.3 lakh crore as of June, has outstanding forex loans of USD 2.3 billion from multilateral lenders, including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and KfW of Germany. "We are planning to make it mandatory for builders to make rooftop solar installations if the project is funded from our green funds," Ashwini Kumar Tewari, a Managing Director in charge of international banking, information technology and associates & subsidiaries at SBI, said. "We are, in fact, planning to make it a bundled deal for home loan applicants going forward," Tewari told reporters here on Thursday on the sidelines of the final day of the global SME summit organised by Sidbi. These loans come with 10-year or 20-year tenors ...

Juniper Green Energy gets $350 mn investment from AT Capital Group, Vitol

Juniper Green Energy on Wednesday said AT Capital Group and Vitol have invested USD 350 million in the independent renewable energy power producer. The Juniper Green Energy targets to triple its operational capacity to 2.5 GW by 2026 and forge ahead with its ambitious development plans. Sanjay Bakliwal, Director, at AT Capital Group said, "Their impressive project pipeline, combined with their proficiency in EPC and O&M services, aligns seamlessly with our vision for a sustainable and greener future." AT Group is a leading family office, specializing in actively managed businesses and passive financial investments. The increase in investment to USD 350 million comes nearly two years after the initial commitment of USD 200 million from AT Capital Group and Vitol, a company statement said. Mike Muller, Head of Vitol Asia, stated "We are pleased to support Juniper Green Energy's ambitions to deliver a growing renewable power portfolio at a time of increasing demand for power." Vitol