SolarQuarter November Issue 2019

Intersolar Expo Special Issue 2019

www.solarquarter.com

 Volume 09. l Issue 11  November 2019

No.1 supplier in financed projects 100% bankable Source：BloombergNEF

87GW+ Deployed Worldwide

15% +

NO.1

60 +

20 +

Global Market Share

Largest PV Inverter R&D Team

Countries with Sungrow Installations

Years in the Solar Industry

Email：india@sungrow. cc

Web：www. sungrowpower. com

ENERGIZING THE WORLD with GOODWE

Commercial & Industrial Solar System Solutions

50% DC Input Oversizing Ratio

15% AC Output Overloading Ratio

String Level Current Monitoring

10-80kW

Lifetime Free Access to SEMS Portal

Power Line Communication

Full Load Operation at 50 °C

Stand B10 w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

November 27-29, 2019 Bangalore, India Solar Quarter • November 2019 3

IN CONVERSATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS Investments Needed To Hold The Line

Mr. Himanshu Mishra, Vice President- Regulatory, SunSource Energy

33 12

“Today, we have a presence across 24 states in India and 6 countries globally and have one of the largest Solar + Storage portfolios in India”

Mr. Girish Narang, Director, Suryaday

14

“Our Most Commendable Project Was Epc Of 2Mw Rooftop Solar Project At Patanjali Food Park In Tezpur, Assam. It Is The Largest Rooftop Solar Project In North East India”

Mr. Mathias Muther, CEO, Aerocompact

Market Expansion - Solar Modules And Inverters 16

35

“Aerocompact Is Manufacturing And Supplying Intelligent Solar Racking System With Presence In Over 14 Countries Worldwide”

Perspective  Market Leaders - What It Takes To Survive In The Competitive Solar Market.................................................................20  Factors That Will Further Aid Solar Rooftop Installation In Banglalore.........................................................................................22  Factors That Will Further Aid Solar Rooftop Installation In North East..............................................................................................28  Will The Indian Solar Sector Be Able To Keep Its Upward Trajectory Going Forward.................................................................32

Company Feature

Product Feature

 Ginlong Technologies................................................................26

 Phoenix Contact ...........................................................................30

 TBEA....................................................................................................36

 Ginlong Technologies ...............................................................30

Advertisers Index 01

02

03

05

07

09

11

13

15

19

21

23

25

27

29

31

33

39

40

PUBLISHING

EDITING

CONTENT

DESIGNING

ADVERTISING

CIRCULATION

PRINTING

Firstview Media Ventures

Varun Gulati Ekta Pujari

Megha Kottapalli Parleen Kaur Arora

Neha Barangali Purple Arts

Smriti Singh Meghna Sharma

Kunal Verma Chandan Gupta

Vaibhav Enterprises

Pvt. Ltd.

For Advertising Enquiries : Meghna Sharma, meghna@firstviewgroup.com, +91 8850563096

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

For Subscription Enquiries : Kunal Varma, kunal@firstviewgroup.com, +91 88505 70273

Solar Quarter • November 2019 4

India News

I

ndian Coal Giant Launches 100 MW Solar Tender

Coal India Limited (CIL), aGovernment of India entity and the single largest coal producer in the world, wants to set up a 100 MW solar PV power project in the state of Chhattisgarh under solar power developer and operator (SDO) mode. Power generated by this plant will cater to the green energy requirement of its subsidiary, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) which currently consumes 850 million units annually. The said solar power project will need to be set up in the so called CAPEX mode.

EPC companies or solar power developers interested to apply for the tender must detail availability and location of land, transmission corridor, water availability, state open access issues, grid injection of the evacuated power from. The tender is aligned with the CIL’s need to develop some 3 GW of solar power capacity under the government’s directives to become a net zero energy company. It estimates the group’s total annual power requirement in the production of coal to be 4.5 billion units, with a contract demand of

The petition was filed by the GUVNL requesting the regulatory commission to approve the tariff and give its consent to continue with the auction process by issuing the Letter of Award (LoA) to GSECL.

S

ECI’s Manufacturing-Linked Solar Tender Receives Good Response, Oversubscribed by 1 GW

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has received a good response for its 7 GW solar tender that has been linked with a manufacturing component.After a slew of underperforming solar tenders in the past, this solar tender has been oversubscribed by 1,000 MW. In this auction, Adani Green Energy submitted bid for 4 GW of solar projects, and 1 GW of manufacturing component, followed by Azure and Navyug which submitted bids for 2 GW of projects each. The two also submitted bids for 500 MW of manufacturing units each.

around 1100MVA. In the financial year 2018-19, it produced approximately 607 million

A few days ago, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) has

tons of coal.

announced that it would provide term loans to solar manufacturing projects. In a letter to SECI, Praveen Kumar, the chairman of IREDA, had expressed the agency’s interest in

N

ew Initiative Targets 10,000 RE Microgrid In India

examining any such proposal from a qualified SECI bidder, which would be subject to meeting IREDA’s eligibility criteria.Meanwhile, the SECI amended various clauses of this tender to make it appealing for the interested developers.

Indian energy company Tata Power has launched a new initiative called TP Renewable Microgrid Ltd. along with New York based The Rockefeller Foundation targeting the establishment of 10,000 microgrids through 2026 in India. This partnership aims to address power deficit faced by Indian households and businesses living in the rural areas through microgrids powered by renewable energy. Tata Power, which has 30% of its total portfolio

R

enewable Energy Ministry Rules Out Removal Of Tariff Cap

The government will not remove the wind and solar ‘tariff caps’ or the fixed highest ask

comprising solar and wind capacity, targets to provide clean power to close to five million

price in the wind and solar capacity auctions of the Government of India, Anand Kumar,

households.

Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, told BusinessLine on Tuesday.

The microgrids will be implemented in collaboration with The Rockefeller Foundation’s

The Government of India-owned company, SECI, conducts capacity auctions on behalf of

Smart Power India (SPI) and the Institute for Transformative Technologies. The projects

the government. The tariff caps for the latest auctions of wind and solar were Rs 2.93 and

will be operated and managed by Tata Power that owns approximately 11 GW of installed

Rs 2.85 respectively.

generation capacity. However, the press statement does not specify the individual capacity of participating renewable energy technologies used for for these microgrids.

N

o Imported Blue Wafer Cells For DCR PV Projects In India

The existence of the tariff caps has been a sore point with the industry, which it finds unfair and unviable.

However, Kumar has a different view. “If you find the cap unacceptable, don’t bid. I’m not forcing you to bid,” he said.

When it was pointed out that several of the recent government auctions were under-

For some of its flagship programs, the Government of India has made it mandatory for

subscribed, he said, “yes, that is why we have raised the cap to Rs 2.93. He stressed that

developers to use domestically manufactured solar cells, such as Kisan Urja Suraksha

the government was “not insensitive.”

Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) with 25.75 GW target and 12 GW under CPSU Scheme

“You can ask for a liberal cap, but don’t ask for removal of cap,” he said.

Phase-II. Since the country doesn’t have a full-fledged and established vertically integrated domestic PV manufacturing capacity, the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) points out that some manufacturers have been importing semi-processed solar cells, called blue wafers, and turn them into complete cells with little value addition in

W

est Bengal Floats Tender For A 220kV Solar Evacuation Line

The West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) has floated a tender

India.

for the extension of a solar power evacuation line at the Sagardighi thermal power project

For this reason, it has now clarified that if this doped silicon wafer or blue wafer is imported

in the state.

and used as a raw material for manufacturing of solar cells in India, these will not qualify as

The estimated cost for the expansion of the 220kV bus is ₹141.6 million (~$1.98 million)

domestically manufactured for MNRE’s schemes and programs.

and interested bidders are expected to provide an earnest money deposit of ₹2.8 million (~$39,235). The deadline for the submission of bids is December 18, 2019.

S

olar Power Generation Dipped in the Third Quarter of 2019 By Nearly 14%

Evacuation lines play a crucial role in power generation and distribution as they allow generated power to be immediately distributed to the grid straight from the producer.

Solar power generation numbers declined by 14% quarter over quarter (QoQ) in the third

The scope of the work involves the complete civil, structural, architectural work including

(Q3) quarter of 2019. Solar power generation in India stood at 10,530 million units (MUs),

the design, supply, fabrication, erection, construction, maintenance, labor, tools, as

according to the data released by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

required for the successful execution of the turnkey project.

The decline in generation numbers is not a surprise as the quarter coincided with the monsoon season when solar generation typically dips.

Solar power generation numbers, however, increased by 25% year-over-year (YoY) compared to Q3 2018. In the first nine months (9M) of the calendar year (CY) 2019, solar power generation totaled 34,207 MUs, a 29.6% increase on a YoY basis when compared to the 26,449 MU of solar electricity generation in 9M of CY 2018.

Solar power generation peaked in March and April. The decline in solar power generation started in May and June; this has been a yearly trend, which is clear in the monthly chart below. The rainy season in the country affected solar power generation significantly.

S

olar forays into solar module manufacturing

Nemji Solar (Nemji EVPV Pvt Ltd) headed by Chetan Shah, (former director and founder – Goldi Solar), is a Solar EPC company, undertaking commercial and residential solar power installations. Recently the company has announced plans to foray into solar module manufacturing. The company will be setting up an ultra – modern facility of 1GW and intends to commence operations by April 2020.

With this facility, the company plans to implement the latest manufacturing technologies

G

and introduce high quality modules delivering enhanced performance and best generation,

The Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) has approved a tariff of ₹2.65

bussing, auto curing line and automatic module sorting, its assembly lines will also be fully

(~$0.038)/kWh for a 100 MW solar project under phase VI of the state’s Raghanesda Solar

equipped for half-cut cell, bifacial, BIPV and glass to glass module manufacturing. The

Park. The tariff was quoted by Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) under

company will be introducing a range of modules using Mono and Multi - crystalline cells

the competitive bidding process conducted by Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL).

along with catering to client’s specific requirements.

ujarat Approves Tariff of ₹2.65/kWh for a 100 MW Solar Project in Raghanesda Solar Park

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

undergoing all stringent quality checks and having all the required certifications from reputed international Nemji entities. With the inclusion of automated processes like auto

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 6

Lysaght/Solar Quarter/1119

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Quarter • November 2019 7

Asia News

1

1 Solar Power Plants For Fukushima, Japan

H

ong Kong & Macau Solar Focused JV Announced A new joint venture (JV) has been announced by Asia Clean Capital (ACC) Founders

Devastated by the 2011 earthquake and the nuclear disaster that followed, Japan’s

Limited and Hyperion Solar Limited to focus on solar PV projects in Hong Kong and Macau

Fukushima prefecture may just be looking towards a turnaround with the help of

regions. The new entity is called ACC Solar Hong Kong Limited (ACC Solar HK). Distributed

renewables. The region may soon host as much as 600 MW of renewable energy capacity,

solar developer ACC Founders Limited counts Goldman Sachs and DCIF among its

reported Nikkei Asian Review.

investors while Hong Kong based solar advisory and development firm Helios Renewable

This capacity is likely to come from 11 solar power and 10 wind power plants to be

Energy Limited holds a stake in Hyperion.

established on farmlands that ‘cannot be cultivated anymore and mountainous areas

The JV will develop, construct, acquire and operate solar PV projects in the chosen regions

from where population outflows continue’. Japan’s nuclear power plants suffered a hit

while planning to leverage blockchain and fintech ecosystem in Hong Kong ‘to provide

after the country faced a tsunami triggered earthquake that damaged the Daiichi Nuclear

innovative funding solutions to promote community ownership and accelerate the

Power Plant leading to radioactive radiation. Power generated by these projects will be

proliferation of small-scale solar installations’. Currently, it is developing a pre-identified

supplied to the Tokyo metropolitan area through a new 80-km wide grid which is planned

pipeline of projects of unidentified capacity and it is collaborating with public and private

to be constructed within Fukushima to connect the generated power with the power

sector asset owners and other stakeholders as well. Both the founders explain the reason

transmission network of Tokyo Electric Power Co., with an expected cost of JPY 29 billion

behind choosing Hong Kong is its attractive feed-in-tariff (FIT) scheme in place since 2018

($0.27 billion).

along with its long-term decarbonization strategy, innovation and climate risk mitigation policy commitments.

L

ONGi To Develop 5 GW Solar Module Fab In Jiaxing, China China’s LONGi Solar will develop a monocrystalline solar module production fab with

an annual capacity of 5 GW in the country’s Jiaxing region under a project investment agreement with the local government. The project is expected to cost RMB 2.2 billion ($313 million). To be located in Jiaxing Xiuzhou High-tech Industrial Development Zone, the production facility will be commissioned in phases in 2020.

LONGi said this investment is in line with its strategic need for future capacity planning.

The announcement for a new cell fab comes soon after the company board approved RMB 6.322 billion investment to construct 2×5 GW monocrystalline solar module facilities in Zhangzhou and Xianyang regions, and 5 GW cell production factory in Xi’an Fuxin city in October 2019.

C

hina Installed 16 GW Solar PV In 9M/2019

G

erman Bangladesh Consortium Win 50 MW PV Project German solar power project developer ib vogt GmbH has secured rights to develop

a 50 MW grid-tied solar power plant in Bangladesh in a consortium with local AG Agro Industries Ltd. The consortium won a 20-year contract with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to supply at a tariff of BDT 8.75 ($0.10) per kWh, reported the Dhaka Tribune. Both the winners will develop the project in Mirsharaiupazila, Chittagong on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis on the condition of ‘no electricity, no payment’. It was approved in a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase with the country’s Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.

Bangladesh aims to have 10% of its total electricity coming from renewables by 2020 and 6 GW of renewables capacity by 2041. According to the World Bank that shelled out a $185 million loan in March 2019 to help add 310 MW of renewable energy in the country, the share of renewable energy in the national grid supply is only 1.5%.

Chinese solar PV installations in the first nine months of 2019 reached 15.99 GW. In the period between July and September, deployments totaled 4.59 GW, after the first two quarters showed capacity additions of 11.4 GW. During this period last year, China had already installed 34.54 GW of new PV. On average this means China added only 5 GW per quarter till September 2019. With only three months left before the calendar year closes, it looks quite uncertain if the country will be able to even report the low 33.6 GW 2019 estimate pegged by PV InfoLink in June 2019.

According to the Chinese National Energy Administration (NEA), this 15.99 GW came from 7.37 GW of large-scale solar power plants and 8.26 GW of distributed PV systems. Most of the capacity came up in North China with 5.086 GW, followed by 4.3 GW in the northwest of the country.

S

ingapore Developer Announces $20m Plans For Four More Philippines Microgrids

Singaporean renewables developer WEnergy Global says the US$60 million CleanGrid Partners investment fund it helped establish in January is ready to commit US$20 million into four microgrids which will come online in the Philippines in the next two years.

WEnergy led development of the Sabang Renewable Energy Microgrid Project, which features 1.4 MWp of solar generation capacity, 1.2 MW of diesel power and 2.4 MWh of battery storage, and supplies 700 residents and businesses.

The project, which its developer says is “the largest off-grid electrification plant in ASEAN [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations]”, was conceived in 2013 and WEnergy says its completion will pave the way for similar schemes to be rolled out at a much faster pace.

S

ingapore Aiming For 2 GW Solar PV Capacity By 2030 One of the emerging PV markets in Asia, Singapore is aiming to scale up its target

for the technology to have a total of 2 GW of installed capacity by 2030, according to the

E

-waste Company Opens Battery Recycling Plants In Singapore And France

country’s Minister for Trade and Industry, Chan Chun Sing. Calling it the country’s most

Singapore-based IT waste recycling company TES has opened two battery recycling

promising renewable energy source, Sing said Singapore is on track to achieve its target of

facilities which, it claims, will enable it to offer the “highest commodity-grade recovery

350 MW of solar by 2020. For its 2 GW solar target, it plans for this capacity to come from

rates in the industry” for lithium and cobalt as well as copper and aluminum.

the deployment of solar by companies, researchers and the general public which would be

The recycling company also revealed plans to reuse spent electric vehicle (EV) batteries

enough to power around 350,000 households in Singapore.

for commercial and residential energy storage applications. TES, which describes itself

It is also open to the idea of building integrated PV (BIPV) for vertical installations on

as “the largest e-waste [electronic waste] recycler in the world,’’ said its proprietary

buildings and rooftop solar as well as utilizing any available space for solar installation as

“hydrometallurgy” recycling system would use chemical treatment processes to recover

water reservoirs for floating solar, and even offshore spaces.

lithium and cobalt after magnetic separation had sorted out copper and aluminum.

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 8

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Quarter • November 2019 9

Global News

A

RENA Funded 110 MW Solar Project Launched Australia’s state of Queensland has officially announced commissioning a 110 MW

County, California from Portuguese utility EDP’s renewables arm EDP Renewables under a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) signed between these companies.

solar power plant built with AUD 200 million ($137 million) investment of which AUD 20

To be constructed for an estimated amount of over $200 million, the 200 MW Sandrini

million ($13.7 million) was provided as a grant from the Australian Renewable Energy

Solar Park is expected to come online in 2022 when it will also sell 100% of its renewable

Agency (ARENA). This is one of the state’s 30 clean energy generators and one of five to

energy credits and capacity to SENA.

come online in the Darling Downs region, the state government said. State Energy Minister

“This opportunity will increase the supply of renewable power in California while

Dr Anthony Lynham shared Queensland has over AUD 5 billion ($3.4 billion) worth of

simultaneously reducing Shell’s carbon footprint,” said President of SENA Glenn Wright.

renewable energy projects either generating, underway or financially committed across

“We recognize that customers and communities are demanding a shift in the way power is

Queensland with one third of the investment in the Darling Downs alone.

He added that the Darling Downs region has three more large-scale solar farms under construction. A fixed-tilt solar project, the Darling Downs Solar Power Plant was purchased by local natural gas transmission company APA Group from the original developer Origin Energy that chose its location next to Darling Downs Power Station. It is equipped with 423,360 solar panels spread over 250-hectare land and under contract with Origin Energy which will buy all the power generated as well as Large-scale Renewable Generation Certifications (LGCs) till 2030.

G

ermany Installed 286.9 MW Solar In Sept 2019

After two consecutive months of adding over 300 MW of new solar power capacity, Germany installed 286.9 MW in the month of September 2019 with rooftop solar additions during the reporting month accounting for over 260 MW. Compared to a year back when the PV additions in September 2018 was reported to be 198.7 MW, in August 2019, the installations were reported to be 327.2 MW, which the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has now adjusted at 321.99 MW. However, in relation to the first nine months of the last two years, 9M/2019 saw the country just stop short of a 3 GW milestone as installations reached 2.97 GW. That is 0.5 GW higher than its annual target of 2.5 GW and at the same level that was installed in the entire year of 2018. In 9M/2019, the first quarter was the star performer adding over 1.26 GW.

R

enewables May Account For 53% In European Energy Mix

The year 2019 will be the first in the history of Europe when annual solar and wind power supply will exceed production from coal power after wind power accounted for about 12% of overall power supply in the region in 2018 and solar power 4%. However, if all 28 European Union (EU) member states achieve their National Energy and Climate Plans, renewables will account for 53% of the region’s power supply in 2030, according to a Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables report. By 2040, it could further go up to more than 60%.

Currently, nuclear power is the region’s largest source of power but there won’t be too many of these that will be replaced once the existing reactors retire. Instead, nuclear will make way for gas with lower prices supporting its growth, forecasts Wood Mackenzie.

Nonetheless, by the mid of 2020s, wind and solar together will challenge gas’s dominance as the largest power supplier in the electricity mix of the region, leading to variable generation supply going up. Continued increase in wind and solar power will drive substantial decarbonisation of Europe’s electricity sector, it added.

generated and we are adapting to the demand for more clean energy solutions.”

SENA currently claims to be ranked within the top three gas and power marketers in the region, selling 270 million MWh of clean power annually managing over 10 GW of power generation capacity, more than a third of which comes from renewables as hydro, solar and wind.

I

EA: Africa Could Host 320 GW Installed PV Capacity In 2040

“If policy makers put a strong emphasis on clean energy technologies, solar PV could become the continent’s largest electricity source in terms of installed capacity by 2040.”

In actual terms, this estimate means 320 GW PV for the African continent compared to the current capacity of 5 GW. But this would be possible only in a growth scenario with improved technological efficiencies, supportive regulatory policies, availability of enough finance among other asks. The International Energy Agency (IEA) makes this observation about solar in Africa in its forthcoming flagship report World Energy Outlook 2019 to be released on November 13, 2019. The focus on Africa appears as an excerpt called Africa Energy Outlook 2019 from the flagship report.

All is not lost though. There is still time, says the IEA as it believes that provided the right policies, using its abundant rich natural resources and technological advancements, Africa could be able to meet the energy demand of an economy four times larger than today’s with only 50% more energy.

U

S Govt Approves $128Mn For Solar Research

A total of 75 innovative research projects related to solar technologies have been selected by the US Department of Energy (DOE) for $128 million in funding. Spread across 22 states these projects will advance research and development in PV, concentrating solar thermal power (CSP), soft costs reduction, innovations in manufacturing and advanced solar systems integration technologies. According to the DOE, winning projects will help lower solar electricity costs while boosting solar manufacturing, reducing red tape, and making solar systems more resilient to cyberattacks. The DOE has awarded this money to projects from its Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2019 (SETO FY2019) funding program.

For PV research and development, 21 selected projects will receive $23.6 million to reduce the cost of solar PV by half with the aim to procure more affordable electricity for US consumers and businesses. These projects will focus on increasing performance, reducing material and manufacturing costs and improving reliability of PV cells, modules and systems, the DOE said. Selected PV projects are divided into two categories, namely

L

A Officially Approves US Largest Solar+Storage Project

Photovoltaics Research Collaborations and Small Innovative Projects in Solar (SIPS). Focus areas of these projects cover PV technologies as perovskite thin-film modules, bifacial perovskite, higher efficiency CdTe PV, passivated contact PV technology, among others.

US based solar power developer 8minute Solar Energy, LLC will officially build a new stateof-the-art solar and storage facility to provide clean power for the ‘lowest combined solar and storage prices on record’ in the US for less than $0.02 per kWh, which previously was stated to be $0.01997 per kWh. The contract will cost less than $5.00 annually for each

S

olar Electrification To Support EU In Climate Goal At its Digital Solar & Storage 2019 conference, European solar PV lobby association

customer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) which will supply

SolarPower Europe (SPE) released a report on clean mobility solutions powered by solar

electricity to the city of Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley.

power to help Europe decarbonise the transport sector aligned with the European Union’s

Apart from the ‘lowest’ price tag, the project has some ‘largest’ tags to it as the company management states it will be the ‘largest municipal photovoltaic operation’ in the world

goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 (see Solar Mobility: An Opportunity For Europe). By the same year, Europe wants to increase the share of renewable energy in its

and on completion will make 8minute the ‘largest provider of clean energy to Los Angeles’

electricity mix to at least 70%.

supplying the expected generation exceeding 1.7 billion kWh to more than a million

In another report released one day after the conference, SPE offers a view of how solar-

people across the LA county. It will also be the ‘largest solar and battery energy storage

based electrification offers huge potential to electrify transport, agriculture, smart

system in the United States’ according to Mayor Eric Garcetti who declared unanimous City

buildings and difficult-to-decarbonise industries in Europe thereby contributing to the

Council approval for its power purchase agreements (PPA).

goal of decarbonisation for the region.

In the report Solar Electrification: solutions for a decarbonised energy system the SPE

S

hell To Procure Solar Power From 200 MW US Park Oil major Royal Dutch Shell’s wholesale energy marketer in North America, Shell

Energy North America (SENA) will purchase solar power from a 200 MW PV project in Kern

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

authors argue that solar based electrification enjoys a massive appeal across segments as it allows consumer empowerment at all levels, offers itself as a key technology to mitigate the impacts of global warming, bridging the decarbonisation of key sectors of the economy and not to forget maximising societal benefits for the continent.

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 10

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Quarter • November 2019 11

In Conversation

“Today, we have a presence across 24 states in India and 6 countries globally and have one of the largest Solar + Storage portfolios in India” Mr. Himanshu Mishra, Vice President – Regulatory, SunSource Energy

What are the solar services provided by SunSource Energy in India? What makes you stand apart from other players in the market?

SunSource Energy is a leading provider of solar-based energy and storage solutions to commercial, industrial and institutional clients in India, South East Asia, Middle East, and Africa. With its in-house project finance, EPC, operations and maintenance capabilities, SunSource manages the entire development process of the solar power plant. Since its inception in 2010, the company has developed a portfolio of 300+ high-quality solar power projects across 24 States in India and 6 countries globally. Highlights include the

A simple case example is if a project is conceived based on prevailing regulatory benefits and policy guidelines, and there is a change in the regulations and guidelines just before the project Commissioning, it affects the cash flows, sometimes severely. Regulators and Policymakers need to be sentient of such pragmatic issues while designing the policies and regulations. The very core objectives which solar developers keep in mind are to install projects, serve the customers, and meet up the financial obligations. They budget the functions associated for the same accordingly. There have been instances of retrospective revision of banking charges and provisions recently. Such cases develop apprehensions in the minds of financial Institutions for financing projects in that State and other States also.

construction of one of the largest solar rooftop projects in Philippines, a floating solar

The Indian solar industry has seen tremendous growth in the course of the last 10 years.

project for India’s largest Oil company, implementation of one of India’s first private solar

The government of India has recently started deliberation on further upscaling the RE

rooftop PPAs and Solar + Storage projects. The company is an investee of the Neev Fund

target from 150 GW to 400 GW by 2030, but without resolving the challenges in financing

– a private equity firm backed by the State bank of India (SBI) and UK’s Department for

and Regulatory framework, it will be an uphill task.

International Development (DFID).

Even though the Central Government is highly positive for pushing Solar Capacity addition,

Our focus on delivering quality, innovative and sustainable distributed solar solutions

there are practical challenges in financing, perhaps maybe because of past experience with

to our customers enabled us to maintain a leading position in the Indian distributed

conventional thermal generators or past infrastructure financing issues. What we see as

solar industry with a high repeat client ratio when most of the organizations that kick-

an immediate and long term cure for Financing challenges is the enactment of Renewable

started with us have almost disappeared. This was recently acknowledged at the recently

Energy Act covering comprehensive aspects of renewable energy. This will have its benefit

concluded BusinessWorld 40 under 40 awards where one of our co-founders, Kushagra

in terms of uniform deployment of provisions across the State and will help in bolstering

Nandan, was conferred with the prestigious award. Further, we are one of India’s first IPPs

the trust of international financial institutions to finance RE Projects.

to have in-built future PV waste management as part of our Project conceptualization and

Further, financing support from Financial Institutions is a must, especially for mid-sized

Commissioning activity. For this, we were awarded with the ‘Global Environment Award

and smaller projects. Today, banks are reluctant to finance projects with a rating less

2019’ earlier this year.

than BBB+, and NBFCs which used to provide valuable construction and bridge financing support that are not active. The red carpet should be rolled out by the Government in

Give us brief about MoU signed with the Govt of UP for 200 MW power project.

helping multi-laterals like the World Bank and other climate funds enter into India, and

We were among few solar companies that participated in UP Investors Summit 2018, where

Fortunately, such issues have not been able to derail our growth story so far. We are an

we signed an MOU for 200 MW Solar Project with the State Government. The project will

investee company of the NEEV fund – a private equity fund by the State Bank of India (SBI)

be developed with an estimated investment of INR 9 billion and will create around 1000

and the UK Government’s DFID. We have been able to raise capital whenever we have

employment opportunities in the state. Earlier this year, the Hon’ble Minister of Home

gone out to the market. This can be attributed to our disciplined approach in choosing our

Affairs, Mr. Amit Shah, broke ground for the 1st phase of this project – A 75 MWp open-

customers and bidding tariffs.

support existing FIs, a case in point being the World Bank funding for solar rooftops.

access project that is being developed across different locations in the state. The State government has been very supportive in aggressively tackling the practical challenges that the developers face in developing such large scale projects. Uttar Pradesh is now seeing a rapid growth that will further attract investments, especially with the potential industrial development in the Bundelkhand area. We at SunSource are proud to support the growth

At SunSource, we aim to build a strong Indian

of the state by providing it clean energy solutions.

Multinational institution, creating thousands of

How do you plan to achieve global expansion of your company?

meaningful employment opportunities for the

At SunSource, we aim to build a strong Indian Multinational institution, creating thousands of meaningful employment opportunities for the youth. Both the co-founders at SunSource spent over a decade in the US, extensively working on almost every aspect of Solar, be it design, financing or installation, before eventually starting this venture in India as a payback to the country. Today, we have a presence across 24 states in India and 6 countries globally and have one of the largest solar + storage portfolios in India.

In terms of international projects, we have completed a large ground-mount solar

youth. Both the co-founders at SunSource spent over a decade in the US, extensively working on almost every aspect of Solar.

project in Philippines, developed one of the largest Rooftop Solar Projects in Philippines, developed multiple rooftop projects in the South East Asia and are also installing projects in Kenya. We have strategic tie ups in these regions and our aim to continue building a strong portfolio of quality assets for the C&I clients in India, South East Asia, Middle East, Africa and other emerging nations.

Can you talk about financing of PV Projects in India, and the challenges that developers face?

Most of the challenges that are already known and shared by other solar developers and periodically emphasize the same. When we speak of financing challenges, in actual it is a culmination of many other challenges that poses financing risk as well.

Regulatory Uncertainty is the biggest challenge which not only affects the Project financing but also affects the Project Implementation and Operations. India is a country with huge diversity in solar potential and the same is reflected in the formulation of Regulations and Guidelines.

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Both the co-founders at SunSource spent over a decade in the US, extensively working on almost every aspect of Solar, be it design, financing or installation, before eventually starting this venture in India as a payback to the country.

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 12

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Quarter • November 2019 13

In Conversation

“Our Most Commendable Project Was Epc Of 2Mw Rooftop Solar Project At Patanjali Food Park In Tezpur, Assam. It Is The Largest Rooftop Solar Project In North East India” Mr. Girish Narang, Director, Suryaday

Lets begin with a glimpse of your company’s presence and offerings in India?

What you see for the future of the Indian PV market?

We started in 2014 and have recently completed 5 years of operations. Currently we are

much higher than the cost of traditional power based on non-renewable resources.

in EPC and O&M of solar projects and are focussed on ground mount and rooftop solar

However, today PV solar is driven by cost economics and much cheaper than the current

projects in the range of 1-20MW. While we are based at Delhi NCR, we have worked on

cost of non-renewable power. Thus, by its own economics, PV power has huge potential

solar projects across 15 states in India. We have reputed companies like NTPC, ONGC,

to grow in India.

EESL, Patanjali, Walmart, Asahi Glass, etc. in our portfolio of customers. We are managing

Favouring of domestic manufacturing of components shall also help in ensuring reliability

O&M portfolio of around 10 states in India as of now and are soon going to launch a

and quality of components of solar system. The next growth drivers in Indian PV market

separate O&M segment which shall be much different than traditional O&M service.

shall be domestic segment which will outpace the growth of utility and C&I segment. If the

Which project of yours has been the most commendable one till date?

About 10 years back, Solar was driven by tariff incentives since cost of solar power was

existing policies like subsidies and net metering remain consistent, the adoption of solar systems shall be rapid.

Our most commendable project was EPC of 2MW rooftop solar project at Patanjali Food Park in Tezpur, Assam. It is the largest rooftop solar project in North East India. Tezpur is around 4 hour far from Guwahati and doing a project at such a remote location was not

We have worked on solar projects across

an easy task. We created a local team and trained them in solar installation. We are also managing O&M of that project as of now.

15 states in India. We have reputed

What are the current and potential challenges faced by Indian Rooftop sector?

companies like NTPC, ONGC, EESL, Patanjali,

Undoubtedly the axes being thrown on net metering is the most potent challenge being faced by rooftop solar segment in India. While the rooftop segment has not even achieved

Walmart, Asahi Glass, etc. in our portfolio of

5% of the target set by MNRE, discoms have started curtailing its growth by limiting or restricting it.

customers. We are managing O&M portfolio

The potential challenge is efficiency and quality of solar systems, mainly for government and residential segment. These customers are not fully aware of technical and quality requirements and may face problems once the solar systems installed on their premises undergo the test of time.

What more can be done to increase ease-of-business in Indian rooftop sector?

There is a strong need of ease-of-financing to increase ease-of-business in rooftop segment. Any ‘A’ rated customer can easily get many suitors for rooftop solar on RESCO

of around 10 states in India as of now and are soon going to launch a separate O&M segment which shall be much different than traditional O&M service.

model, which Customer isn’t in need of financing as such. However, MSME segment and domestic segment is the primary driver for future, which is currently not getting financing options for solar. Solar isn’t a priority for a MSME/ domestic segment and if they can have financing option, they can easily adopt the same.

Take an example of automotive segment, if there had been no financing available for cars, the sales would have been much less, even though the car is a higher priority asset compared to solar system. Thus, if Bank, NBFC or solar companies can provide financing to MSME and domestic segment, there can be much higher adoption of solar system by them.

What are your views on the Government policies? Do you think they have brought about the intended benefits?

About 2 years back, the government policies were all favouring adoption of rooftop solar.

However, as of today, government policies have become a risk factor and international investors are scared of such negative policy decisions like re-negotiation of tariffs,

There is a strong need of ease-of-financing to increase ease-of-business in rooftop segment. Any ‘A’ rated customer can easily get many suitors for rooftop solar on RESCO model, which Customer isn’t in need of

limitations to net metering policy, etc. Having said that, continuation of subsidy for residential customers, encouraging domestic manufacturing of solar components, etc. are

financing as such.

some policies which are still helping the market to grow, albeit at lesser than intended speed.

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 14

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Quarter • November 2019 15

In Conversation

“Aerocompact Is Manufacturing And Supplying Intelligent Solar Racking System With Presence In Over 14 Countries Worldwide” Mr. Mathias Muther, CEO, Aerocompact

Tell us more about your company’s products and services.

The complete rooftop and ground mount portfolio shall start to manufacture in India by

Aerocompact is an Austrian based company founded in 2012. Aerocompact is

March 2020.

manufacturing and supplying intelligent solar racking system with presence in over 14

We are looking for distributors with good market reach and own warehouse facilities to

countries worldwide of 1GW supplied and installed racking systems. Aerocompact has joined hands with aluminium extruder Hydro Extrusions India Pvt Ltd located in Bengaluru for manufacturing of the products to cater the requirements of Indian and ASEAN markets.

Aerocompact has a wide range of products suitable for both rooftop and ground mount

build the distribution network on PAN India basis. We are planning to appoint distributors for both large scale, small scale and residential segments initially for 5 states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi NCR, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu.

solar PV installation. The aluminium based racking products have been developed and

Our goal is to bring in at least 20 MW of business from rooftop solar in the next six months

patented at the headquarters in Austria to meet the specific market requirements of each

in India.

geographical locations over the world. Our products are UL certified and designed to withstand severe wind and snow loads and has been tested by undergoing wind tunnel testing. Metal roofs like trapezoidal, corrugated, plain, etc. can be installed with our short rail & long rail system, inclined system, standing seam products.

Our AEROTOOL project software supports in solar PV system design. It is fast, easy and carries detailed analysis of racking system with inbuilt programmed codes and standards

Our long term plan is to setup technical team in India to support with the design and layouts for ASEAN, Middle East and African market.

What is the Vision of your company?

Our vision is that all Aerocompact customers can make their investments safely and

of design. Report generated consists of 3D layout, static analysis, bill of materials and

without technical limitations. The brand stands for intelligent solar racking that fulfils the

other technical details.

highest international safety requirements in Software and Hardware. We want to become

We provide expert solutions and engineering services to support our client in the design

the leading supplier of racking systems in India.

and installation of photovoltaic systems. Our aerodynamically optimized racking give security and mechanical stability require for projects.

What potential did you see in the Indian market?

India is very important market for us with lots of potential for solar installation. The Govt of India is promoting solar with an ambitious target of 100GW installation of which 40GW from rooftop segment. Only 10% of rooftop target has achieved till date making it more lucrative market for us.

Govt of India has recently boosted residential rooftop subsidy policy. This has opened

Our vision is that all Aerocompact customers can make their investments safely and without technical limitations. The brand

residential segment and we look forward to supply lot of residential projects.

stands for intelligent solar racking that

How different is German market from that of the Indian market?

fulfils the highest international safety

We have been supplying products in European, USA, Asian and Middle East market. Every market has its own set of specifications and criteria for accepting the products. Indian

requirements in Software and Hardware.

market is very price sensitive and at the same time looks for quality products. Whereas, European and USA market are quality and delivery sensitive markets. Middle East is quality

We want to become the leading supplier of

and aesthetic sensitive market.

Our product qualifies every market sensitivity parameters. To comply with the price

racking systems in India.

parameter of India, we are manufacturing in India. This gives upper hand to Indian clients for accepting our brand.

What makes Aerocompact different from the other brands present in the Indian market?

We have launched our metal roof products

Aerocompact is the only racking solution provider in Indian market whose rooftop products are patented, UL certified and wind tunnel tested with 25years of warranty on

line in India and are getting manufactured

our products.

AEROTOOL an integrated software gives added advantage for our clients to develop the

in India. We are accepting orders for the

complete solar system and carrying out design calculations along with bill of materials.

What are your plans for the Indian market?

We have launched our metal roof products line in India and are getting manufactured in India. We are accepting orders for the delivery in January 2020 and onwards. By the end of first month of next year, we are launching our product line for flat roof and ground mount systems.

We are also developing system for elevated rooftop and DIY kit for residential and small projects below 10kWp with a launching plan of March 2020 for India.

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

delivery in January 2020 and onwards. By the end of first month of next year, we are launching our product line for flat roof and ground mount systems.

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 16

ANNUAL EVENT CALENDAR Asia’s Largest Cleantech Energy Event Network February

January

May

March

June

August

July

October

September

November

December

Pan India Series

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

North-South Edition

Solar Quarter • November 2019 17 Solar Quarter • August 2019 85

INDUSTRY Industry Insights INSIGHTS

Evolution Of The Solar PV Industry Rising concerns about climate change, the health effects of air pollution, energy security

achieved in recent years in terms of installations (including off-grid), cost reductions and

and energy access, along with volatile oil prices in recent decades, have led to the need to

technological advancements, as well as establishment of key solar energy associations.

produce and use alternative, low-carbon technology options such as renewables.

Solar power will clearly continue to be an essential renewables option in the coming

Solar PV has been one of the pioneering renewable technologies over the decades. The

decades. This working paper sheds light on the prominent role of solar PV in transforming

total installed capacity of solar PV reached 480 GW globally (excluding CSP) by the end of

the global energy landscape by 2050. The following sections present an accelerated

2018, representing the second-largest renewable electricity source after wind. Last year,

deployment pathway for solar PV until 2050 under the REmap Case from IRENA’s global

solar PV again dominated total renewable and power capacity additions, adding twice

energy transformation roadmap, together with perspectives on cost reductions, technology

as much capacity as wind and more than all fossil fuels and nuclear together, solar PV

trends and the need to prepare future grids for rising shares of solar PV.

additions reaching around 94 GW. The evolution of the solar PV industry so far has been remarkable, with several milestones

Source - FUTURE OF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

1941

1963

•

•

1973 •

1954 •

1985 2012

•

•

2010 •

2015 •

KEY MILESTONES IN SOLAR INDUSTRY 2016 •

2018 • • •

2017 • • w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

~ Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 18 18

INDUSTRY Industry Insights INSIGHTS

Risen Energy Releases Q3 Report: Net Profit Soars 237.34% Recently, Risen Energy Co., Ltd. released its financial results report for the third quarter

loss through the joint optimization of advanced battery passivation and high efficiency

of 2019. Operating income for the period stood at 3.718 billion yuan (approx. US$526

component packaging. After being tested by independent third-party testing and

million), soaring by 77.49% from a year earlier. Net profit attributable to shareholders

certification organization TUV SUD, the company’s photoelectric conversion efficiency for

skyrocketed 237.34% year on year to 299 million yuan (approx. US$42.3 million), while net

its Jäger HP 72-cell sized modules reached 21% and is among the highest across the

profit attributable to shareholders after deducting non-recurring gains and losses totaled

sector. The maximum conversion efficiency for its MBB monocrystal cell has exceeded

261 million yuan (approx. US$36.9 million), jumping 134.46% year on year.

23.00%, with an average efficiency reaching 22.73%. The company plans to achieve full

Results for the first three quarters were also quite positive. Operating income for the first three quarters rose to 9.77 billion yuan (approx. US$1.38 billion), up 42.87% year on year, while net profit attributable to shareholders reached 783 million yuan (approx.

US$111 million), and increased by 271.13%. Compared with the same period last year, the company’s output of PV cells and components, the sales income of related PV products and the corresponding sales profit all increased.

As one of the top 10 PV module manufacturers in China, Risen Energy has engaged in the research, development and production of solar crystal silicon cells and modules as well as the construction and operation of photovoltaic power stations for many years, accumulating a deep technical reserve and developing many core technologies. Through the technical reserve and accumulation of equipment, processes and materials relating to heterojunction (HJT), Risen Energy has mastered HJT manufacturing technology, and

mass production of MBB technology within this year.

At the same time, rapid expansion into markets outside of China also provides important support for Risen Energy’s profit growth. At present, the company’s global business footprint has expanded to Europe and the United States, Southeast Asia, Oceania and Asia.

In countries and regions bordering the route of the Chinese government’s “Belt and Road Initiative”, most notably, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, the company also achieved significant results.

Risen Energy ranked second in shipments to the European market in the first half of 2019, accounting for more than 10% of China’s shipments of solar equipment to the region.

Besides Ukraine, the company’s shipments ranked first to the Dominican Republic, accounting for more than 50% of modules shipped there, making it a leader in component exports to the Caribbean nation.

successfully developed high-efficiency HJT cell components.

On August 19, Risen Energy held a groundbreaking ceremony for its 2.5GW high-efficiency HJT cell and module project in Ninghai, a county within the city of Ningbo in Zhejiang province. The project is expected to be completed in 2021 and will add sales revenue of 5 billion yuan (approx. US$700 million) once it commences full production. The company’s HJT cells have a conversion efficiency exceeding 23% and include an integrated half-cut, imbricate, double-glass and high-reflectivity backsheet as part of the cell’s construction.

Through the application of high-efficiency bifacial HJT cell technology, Risen Energy’s HJT components can generate electricity on both sides of the panel and provide investors with a 10-30% higher level of income from the power generated.

Besides the HJT cells, Risen Energy’s R&D team has also successfully developed the

On August 19, Risen Energy held a groundbreaking ceremony for its 2.5GW high-efficiency HJT cell and module project in Ninghai, a county within the city of Ningbo in Zhejiang province.

second-generation half-cut technology of ultra-high light utilization and ultra-low power

since 1963

Legacy of Expertise. Solutions for the Future. Ÿ

Straight Connectors

Branch Connectors

‘elmex’ PV products with indigenous design and development serve as perfect solu on for Photovoltaic applica ons.

Ÿ

PV products conform to Interna onal standards like EN 50521 / IEC 62852 for Connectors, EN 50548 / IEC 62790 for Junc on boxes and IEC 60269 for fuse terminals.

Ÿ

Panel Connectors

Inline Fuse Connectors

Successfully installed more than 3 million connectors at 200+ sites across India.

Ÿ

24X7 customer support with more than 150 distributors na onwide and field engineers present in all major ci es cater to our wide customer base.

Ÿ

In house test facili es to conduct Mechanical, Electrical, Thermal,

Wire Harnesses

Surge Protec on Device

Clima c, Ingress protec on tests etc.

Solu ons For Solar Photovoltaic R60126561

MADE IN INDIA

Elmex Controls Pvt. Ltd. | Elmex Electric Pvt. Ltd. 12, GIDC Estate, Makarpura, Vadodara -390010, Gujarat, India 0265-2642021 / 23

solar@elmex.net

w w w w w w .. ss oo ll aa rr qq uu aa rr tt ee rr .. cc oo m m

Fuse Terminal Block

Terminal Block

www.elmex.net

Solar SolarQuarter Quarter••November November2019 2019 19

Perspective

Market Leaders - What It Takes To Survive In The Competitive Solar Market Mr. Pinaki Bhattacharyya, CEO, AMP Energy India The solar industry has developed rapidly to enter the mainstream over the past decade reaching approx. 34 GW in Sep 2019.

This success has attracted both serious as well as opportunistic investors. Due to the fragmented nature of the industry it is fairly hard to differentiate the two. For institutional players such as AMP Energy India, our biggest challenge has been that the nonutility market continues to be cost focused. While achieving a low tariff is important for consumers, it is also important to ensure that the developer delivers high-quality reliable energy systems so that the consumer is assured of reliable and high-quality supply of

While achieving a low tariff is important for consumers, it is also important to ensure that the developer delivers high-quality reliable

energy throughout the life of the system.

At AMP Energy India, we are extremely focussed on providing integrated renewable energy solutions to our customers. We customise our energy solutions to the client needs and brings this focus starting from the design stage through to project implementation and operations. Apart from being a one stop shop for customers, it is also important to follow a robust risk mitigation framework, aggregate volumes to drive economies of scale in costs, Creating high quality assets, right sizing the debt leverage and financial engineering

energy systems so that the consumer is assured of reliable and high-quality supply of energy throughout the life of the system.

to drive the returns, It is also essential to maintain high standards of corporate governance and following globally accepted ESG standards as we partner with reputed corporates.

Col Sudhanshu Kamboj (Retd.), President Business Development, Hinduja Renewables Energy Pvt. Ltd. The Indian Solar sector is going through a challenging phase

way towards the economic development of the country. India is taking power sector as

where the tariff under competitive bidding is finding new lows

central to its security and economic requirements with the government setting aggressive

and discovering tariff levels which are among the lowest globally.

and ambitious targets. In such a situation, companies with long-term vision to grow in this

In such a situation when the markets are consolidating the market

sector will have the advantage.

leaders are emerging due to their inherent leadership traits.

There is a pressure on solar plant profitability due to reducing tariffs impacting investors’

Innovative approach to drive business growth and discover new business models is the key

return. The fine balance between growth and profitability have to be maintained in order to

in surviving the competition. The Solar assets must be grown to larger portfolio in order

keep the business competitive. This balance while selecting the projects is very important

to reap the benefits of economies of scale. Such a growth can come by growing through

for a sustainable growth of business.

both organic and inorganic routes.

With the growth in computing power, technology is providing innovative paths to bring

Lower financing costs will provide the correct leverages in order to match the competitive

efficiencies in solar power generation, distribution and its management. Such advancement

reverse bidding tariffs without compromising on the quality of solar assets built to last its

on the technological front needs to be adopted early to have the first mover advantage

full life cycle and further reducing the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE).

albeit with some risks. Building collaborative approach to address such technology

The vision of a market leader should be long term as solar power is slated to grow

advancements and working with partners who are experts in such fields will provide the

exponentially in future bringing many disruptive changes in the power industry and paving

necessary impetus to become a global leader in solar energy.

Ms. Monika Rathi, Head – Business Development India & SEA, Mahindra Solar sector has emerged as one of the fastest growing sectors

wind tunnel analysis for structure design are other areas through which lower costs

among renewables, exceeding installed capacity of 31.5 GW,

have been achieved without compromising on the project performance.

including both ground-mounted and rooftop installations. Utility scale projects have been at the forefront of this development,

� Procurement efficiency: The solar value chain is completely fragmented with most items procured from vendors. Vertical integration of the same for an EPC is not the solution

because the solar tariff prices have fallen over the years. This

to beat the market pricing. Instead value chain control, through long term partnership

falling tariff has put tremendous pressure among all segments of the solar PV value chain

model is helping reap similar benefits . The preferred vendor model not only enables

to continuously innovate ways to be sustainable yet profitable. Financiers, Developers and

lower costs, but also better quality based on an ongoing trust and relationship between

Utility businesses are all looking for a viable financial model to maximize a solar project’s

the parties. Efficiency in timely order closure to manage deliveries at site also enables

return. There is growing focus on determining and fine-tuning the long-term costs and

shorter project durations, thereby limiting the project overheads.

economics of managing these plants over its lifetime. This has presented both opportunity and threat to the market leaders within the industry, who are striving to balance costs and performance.

� Execution quality: The long-term performance of a PV project is largely dependent on the quality of construction materials, processes and design conditions under which a PV project has been built. Price may be one of the governing factors for Developers

As Albert Einstein once famously said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same

decision on selection of EPC player, however the lower Capex with sub optimal plant

thinking we used when we created them.” This is precisely what is needed today to stay

construction would mean an outflow every year in terms of lower generation and hence

ahead in such a super price sensitive and competitive market. The three pillars, E, P and C

loss in revenue, and/or multiple quality defects leading to warranty claims and increased

all need optimization to be able to survive and thrive in this market.

cost of O&M. Thus, it has become a Developers imperative to go beyond the price and

� Value Engineering: Engineering is the foundation of a solar plant project, as 3-6 months of design efforts on a project yields 25 years of performance. Tariff trend has ensured that there is no place for gold plated specifications, and hence value engineering becomes critical. Usage of Aluminum winding transformer has enabled similar reliability, albeit with lower costs. Module cleaning Robot has improved plant performance over lifetime, though at higher Capex. Dual metal structure designs, with new materials have been explored and tested to reduce costs. Detailed geo analysis, including usage

evaluate an EPC players capability holistically. We as an EPC player are delivering on our promise to be a long-term, reliable partner, by meeting this requirement of the developers, through our tighter quality controls at site. We are moving from a culture of quality inspectors to a culture where quality is owned by each individual working at site. Quality is rewarded at site and the benefits of ensuring quality are realized in short term through faster synchronization of PV projects & in long term through higher performance leading to better revenue realization.

of geospatial software for effective site analysis, thereby zoning the site to achieve

The industry is reshuffling and when the dust settles, we will still be here because of the

optimization in foundation design. Usage of higher cluster size, higher Wp module,

quality practices, the transparency that we maintain and the engineering strength that we bring to the table.

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 20

Ms. Nithya Balakrishnan, Head – Marketing & Communication, Fourth Partner Energy 1.37 billion people. Current share of global primary energy

� Regulatory prowess – deep rooted understanding of dynamic State regulations

demand at 6%, estimated to grow to 11% by 2040 – this makes

� Offering the lowest total Cost of ownership while ensuring Quality is not compromised

India’s demand for energy the fastest growing amongst all the major economies. Needless to say – renewable sources will play the primary role in helping our country meet this exponentially

� Ability to customise solar solutions � Value added services like storage, power trading

increasing demand for electricity.

� Offering innovative financial models to the client

India’s target is 100 GW Solar power by 2022, the market is ripe for utility scale players,

� Dedicated service, O&M teams functioning round-the-clock to ensure maximised

distributed Solar developers and EPC contractors to contribute to this significantly. Recent sectoral research indicates over 300 solar firms are operational in the country.

At 4PEL, we believe the distributed solar segment will see consolidation in months to come. What will separate the wheat from the chaff, then?

Generation � Execution expertise and stringent adherence to timelines � Technological innovation to ensure Remote monitoring of plant’s generation

Mr. Amit Gupta, Business Head- Energy Infrastructure Solutions, Delta The Competitive Solar Market

legacy of operating in India with market leadership in Telecom Power Solutions, Renewable

Being the market leader in rooftop segment, competition is

Energy Solutions (Solar Inverters) and Display Solutions (Video walls). It is also a leading

healthy and it motivates us improve our technologies and keeps us driving towards achieving our goal. Also we intend to stay focused more on our R&D in bringing new innovations to cater to the market needs for holistic approach. In India Delta has captured major airports, key metro and railway stations, government offices, public sectors and many more, with over

provider of Industrial Automation Solutions, UPS & Datacenter Solutions, EV Charging Solutions, Rail Transportation Solutions, Energy Storage Solutions, DC Fans & Blowers, and Components. With sixteen regional offices, three manufacturing facilities (Rudrapur, Gurgaon and Hosur) and two R&D centres (Gurgaon and Bengaluru), Delta has a strong presence across India with more than 200 channel partners.

1500+GW of string and central grid-tied solar inverters.

Today’s solar market is subjugated by utility sector and mainly inclining towards large scale solar projects by positioning huge quantity of solar inverters. However commercial segment is expected to show its growth rate during the near future. The solar market is growing significantly and the government is also initiating to create awareness by involving private sector groups and promoting government schemes, policies, smart cities for residential and commercial sectors.

Delta Group, India, is operating since 2003.

Delta Electronics India Private Limited,

is a group entity and a leading Power and Energy management company. It is a 100% subsidiary under the ultimate control of Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL. Delta operates in three business categories: Power Electronics, Automation and Infrastructure. It has a

Today’s solar market is subjugated by utility sector and mainly inclining towards large scale solar projects by positioning huge quantity of solar inverters. However commercial segment is expected to show its growth rate during the near future.

EFFICIENT... RELIABLE... LONG LASTING...

SOLAR HYBRID INVERTERS ( Grid-Tie with Energy Storage ) 1KW - 100KW

SOLAR GRIDDTIE INVERTERS 1KW - 5KW ( Single Phase I/P - Single Phase O/P ) 5KW - 80KW ( Three Phase I/P - Three Phase O/P ) IEC 600688221:2007 Part 2-1, 600688222:2007 Part 2-2, CERTIFIED ISO 9001 : 2015

CERTIFIED ISO 50001 : 2011

IEC 6006882214:2009 Part 2-14, 6006882230:2005 Part 2-30,

CERTIFIED ISO 140001 : 2015

CERTIFIED OHSAS 180001 : 2019

IEC 61683:1999, IEC 62116:2014, IEC/EN 6210991:2010, IEC/EN 6210992:2011

CERTIFIED ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFIED ISO 50001:2011 CERTIFIED OHSAS 180001:2019 CERTIFIED ISO 140001:2015

+ 91-80-22027400

w w w w w w .. ss oo ll aa rr qq uu aa rr tt ee rr .. cc oo m m

Solar SolarQuarter Quarter••November November2019 2019 21

Perspective

Factors That Will Further Aid Solar Rooftop Installation In Banglalore Mr. Harsha Kuntur, Managing Director, EcoSoch Solar Pvt. Ltd. Karnataka has installed 221 MW on solar rooftops, of which most

there won’t be any administrative hurdles from DISCOM in commissioning and smooth

of the installations are in Bangalore. As per the local Electricity

operation of the plant.

Supply Company in Bangalore, there are only 1800 solar rooftop

Thirdly, for many who are interested in solar, but don’t have a suitable roof should be given

buildings in the city, even though the cost of solar panels and inverters have come down dramatically in the last four years.

A major part of it is due to the frequent change of state and central solar rooftop policies, which has created confusion among developers and the consumers. Recently, MNRE has announced subsidies for solar rooftop systems for domestic consumers, but the framework to implement the subsidy scheme has not been formulated yet, causing many end-users to differ their installations for future dates.

Second, solar consumers who had experienced long procedural delays during commissioning or getting their monthly billings are reluctant to recommend to their neighbours to go for solar. it’s important to instil confidence in end consumers that

an option to go for virtual net-metering, in which group of consumers collectively own a solar rooftop system installed elsewhere, but their electricity bills will be pro-rata credited.

Fourth, all the new service connection meters to be configured for bidirectional energy measurement with or without solar. This could improve solar commissioning from 45 days to 10 days.

Lastly, Indian banks have been reluctant to give loans to the Solar rooftop domestic segment. Most customers expect loans to be collateral-free like that of car loans.

In order to achieve the target of 2022 and beyond, MNRE and state government should take a more comprehensive approach to incentivize the state ESCOM’s and banking sector to promote solar rooftop systems.

Mr. Mux Narasimhan, Founder and Director, Play Solar First and foremost we need a consistent policy with unwavering

in place to both prevent unqualified players from entering the market and also give the

support to increase rooftop penetration. This means a longer

right incentives for qualified players.

term policy with a 7-10 year horizon and not a yearly PPA price

Second on the implementation side we need the grit to remove all roadblocks at all cost.

update that gets invariably delayed by 3-5 months (March to August) which are prime solar months. Solar is seasonal business and typically July to October business is dull in India due to monsoon rains. This leaves very little time in a year to do business. Also the subsidy announcement by MNRE has put the market in flux as the subsidy delivery mechanism, approval process and timelines are still not clear. So the market is now on a wait and watch mode until clarity on subsidy is given.

Meanwhile many MSME solar companies have closed down due to lumpy business and lack of working capital support. Specific support for MSME system integrators need to be

This calls for a 100% transparent online process with committed timelines from application to interconnection approvals. This is being implemented now by BESCOM after ironing out several kinks.

We need a policy to be a clearing to let the market forces have it their way rather than a policy and implementation paralysis with stumps growth. The expectations on Karnataka and Central government to fix these kinks are high as the clock keeps ticking. Karnataka government has always been pro-business and pro-environment and needs to continue a leadership role in increasing rooftop installation by closing down these issues as soon as possible.”

Mr. Srinivas Kumar, MD and CEO, RenXSol Ecotech Private Limited Solar Rooftop installations comes in different applications and

� Focus on savings on electricity bills for marketing tool, as return of investment at

variants for homes, apartments, offices and industries. Most

prevailing tariffs is about 5 to 6 years for residential and under 5 years for industrial.

common are the grid connected rooftop solar system which works

� Focus on savings against future increase in electricity bills improving return on

in sync with utility or distribution company grid and supports the user through notified policies as net metering or gross metering.

Another alternative is off-grid system wherein batteries are used to store the solar energy and then this electricity is utilized any-time during the day or night and is used more in suburbs of cities or interior towns where electricity utility supply is weak.

Future technologies: Newer system technologies are there now, which work without requiring battery reference or grid reference for generating solar power for loads, making them cost effective. These will be the change of tomorrow over time making user independent.

investment. � Focus on protecting the environment, reducing carbon emission reduction at power plants important for future healthy life of our children. � Focus on helping the country’s economy as by making an investment decision it also helps industry � Focus on enabling such saved energy being made available for use by farmers and other users who are short of it. � Focus on quality products and services long term and helping Indian companies. � Focus on using solar for standalone powering of future electric vehicles which is a

Market drivers: However, to enable this market grow faster newer drivers should be

tremendous opportunity for entrepreneurship and solar industry.

considered for marketing other than government subsidies or net metering/gross metering

The above will enable this sector grow faster with higher acceptance and making homes

incentives. The government should only give permission to sync with grid. Thereafter, the

and industries self-reliant, and farmers having better access to power as energy saved is

driving force should be marketing, with focus on -

energy produced.

Nazeem Kudligi, CEO, Kamati GreenTech The below points are suggested after having faced practical

Meter without a tax invoice of a MNRE approved Solar Water Heater. The same should

difficulties as a Solar EPC Enterpruener.

be applicable for Solar Rooftops

� The solar water heater industry is enjoying a steady business .

� The paper work should become simple. Just one application form should suffice

One of the reason is that the BESCOM ( EB) doesn’t give a Energy

� The above rules could be exempted for houses smaller than 1000 sq feet.

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 22

Mr. Shashikiran N.K., Managing Director, Arushi Green Energy (India) Private Limited As a Solar Industry veteran who has seen and participated in the growth of Solar PV in Bangalore and India, I have a few important concerns that have to be addressed to further grow Solar Rooftop.

1. Solar industry is not alone in facing the tough credit scenario in the country. Solar Power Systems financing from Banks suffers one important impediment. The impediment is the insistence of Banks for collateral security for the solar loan.This affects both the Industry that wants Solar on its rooftop and a Solar Power provider who can do this as a service. So asking Banks to extend Solar PV systems loans on the system itself as a Primary security and no collateral will be a huge boost.

that will mean that Industry will have an additional reason to install solar Rooftop.

Without making available Funding to install Solar rooftop to burden Industry with ‘Renewable Power Obligation’ would be very unfair.

3. The Government has a wonderful scheme called the Phase II- Grid Connected Solar Rooftop Programme by which there is a ‘Central Financial Assistance’ to residential sector, but the building owner has to apply to local Discom for the subsidy and the DISCOM will pay the approved ‘Solar EPC’ (Installer) the Subsidy, the building owner pays only 70% of the cost. The catch here is the approved Solar Provider or installer who has to win the bid for price. The red tape on this and selection based on price alone makes one deeply skeptical that such a scheme will succeed. A switch to “Direct

2. After the above suggestion of Solar Loans without collateral is accepted, then a second factor that will boost Solar Rooftop is the ‘Renewable Power Obligation’ of consumers

Benefit Transfer” to the building owner based on the “Approved Cost of Solar system up to 3 KW would be the ideal solution.

Mr. Ravi Kumar, PVN CEO, Dexler Energy Pvt Ltd Karnataka state is a pioneer in introducing policies that encourage renewables and the rooftop solar segment is no different. One of the earliest and most rewarding programs for setting up grid connected rooftop solar began in Karnataka. Despite this great policy incentive, the growth in capacities is nominal compared to the potential available. Karnataka currently has 215 MWs of rooftop solar and Bangalore accounts for 125 MW of that. BESCOM intends to achieve installed rooftop capacities of 1 GW by 2021-22. It seems unlikely at this stage but not entirely impossible. To make that happen BESCOM has to take the lead.

Changing the paradigm The distribution company employees’ outlook has to change with regard to encouraging rooftop PV installations. It is pertinent to note here that a study conducted by CEEW has concluded that there is a net positive benefit in terms of revenues for distribution companies when consumers set-up rooftop projects. For a start, a similar study can be commissioned by CEEW or other research agencies for BESCOM to see how it can help improve operations and revenues for BESCOM. This should bring about a drastic change in the way BESCOM or the other Escoms in the State perceive rooftop additions.

of the roofs and profile of consumers. BESCOM has a natural advantage of being the service provider of first resort to a majority of electricity consumers in its jurisdiction. So BESCOM can take a natural lead to aggregate demand for such RESCO or EPC players.

State government buildings, BESCOM’s own buildings including its sub-stations, Courts, Municipalities etc., are all low hanging fruits. BESCOM can also encourage industrial clusters or large apartment complexes to approach it to procure or run a process on their behalf.

Awareness and Policy certainty are the two other very important factors that BESCOM has to ensure. It should conduct awareness programs in different geographies of its jurisdiction. Consumer forums should be provided material to be distributed across, Banks can be encouraged to set-up loan melas near BESCOM offices to provide loans to residential consumers for adopting solar. BESCOM can list and advertise frequently the list of approved service providers or RESCO players through whom consumers can purchase equipment or services for rooftop solar. Policy certainty on net gross metering options and connectivity approvals ensure that all stakeholders know what to expect when they set-up the systems. This will help estimate accurately the benefits both long an short term

Demand origination The biggest challenge that Banks face in approving loans or RESCO

of setting up such systems and this will encourage consumers to embrace solar more

operators face in taking up projects which are sub-scale is the fragmented nature

confidently.

w w w w w w .. ss oo ll aa rr qq uu aa rr tt ee rr .. cc oo m m

Solar SolarQuarter Quarter••November November2019 2019 23

INDUSTRY Industry Insights INSIGHTS

Energy Storage Systems: Its Role Today Will Guide The Future Tomorrow!

Energy Storage System (ESS) has been known to mankind since few years now. However in the decade, a considerable amount of money has been spent in upgrading existing and/

Figure 2: Ramp rate control with use of storage (Source: Saft)

or developing new systems. This is partly because of the fact that such systems are poised to double six times only in the next 15 years i.e. from 2016 to 2030 reaching almost up to 125GW/305GWh (Figure 1). ESS is simple terms means any system/technology which is capable of storing excess energy and releasing it when required. The types of ESS available in the market are of electrical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, etc. in nature. The storage type today with maximum market penetration are batteries. While we informed you on the technicalities of battery storage in our previous blog “Importance & Reliability of storage”, we thought it was important to educate our readers on what actually would be the role of ESS (and how would they help such plants) with reference to renewable energy power plants. Additionally with various Indian states drafting the Deviation settlement mechanism regulation this year, it can be easily assumed that ESS would be of prime importance to all the renewable energy generators for various reasons. This blog hence aims to educate its readers on role of ESS and its importance to the national grid.

Figure 1: Capacity of global cumulative storage installations (Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance)

Figure 3: Peak shaving (Source: Google images)

ESS as we mentioned above is of great importance to both Solar Photovoltaic (PV) and

3) Frequency and Power-factor Regulation: Both frequency and power factor are important

Wind energy generating plants. A main reason that is attributed to this is that both these

grid indicator. While frequency indicates the exact match between demand and supply,

generating sources are intermittent in nature. ESS thus helps such sources in following

power factor indicates the quality of power flowing through the grid. ESS ensures

ways: 1) Ramp rate control & Output smoothening: A ramp may be defined as an event in which there is a change in power in a fixed time frame. If the change in power is positive, this event is known as ramp-up event. Similarly if the change in power is negative, it is known as ramp-down event. The rate at which this ramp event occurs is known as ramp rate, which is usually considered for a minute and hence its unit MW/minute. The conventional power producers (due to their ability to control input

stability in grid by dispatching or absorbing active power as and when required. This ensures that the share of renewable energy in the entire energy mix of country is increased to a substantial amount. The operation of ESS however here are dependent on the number and frequency of variations in the grid power. These variations are typically of short duration which ensures ESS regulates the grid power by maintaining it within permissible limits.

fuel) have a considerable control over their ramp rates. However the renewable energy sources due to uncontrollable factor such as cloud cover, sudden change in weather conditions may have significant effect on its power output. It is seen that close to 30 – 80% of power output in a minute may be lost in such cases. Ramp rate are usually of prime interest to grid operators, as they are the ones who ensure that the demand and supply ratio is maintained at almost all the times. In case of sudden spike or surge in power, congestion in electric conductors may damage the grid. The ESS in such case can release or absorb energy thus reducing the speed of variation at the injection

With almost major power consumer and renewable energy producer states (like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu) drafted out the Deviation settlement mechanism for renewable energy generators, the usage of ESS has become mandate. This regulation shall applicable to both existing and upcoming plants within these state. In these regulations, the generator has to give a day ahead and three days ahead schedule each day. Such forecast could only be changed 8 times & 16 times (For Gujarat – number may

point. Also as evident Figure 2, the ESS also helps to smoothen the power output i.e. it

vary state-wise) for solar & wind energy generators

compensates of spikes and sags so that the generation remains within the scheduled

in 96 time blocks (15 minutes each) per day. Above

range.

such revisions and/or if a generator generates

2) Peak Shaving: India has had a typical power consumption curve with a peak consumption

more/less energy than they have forecasted, they

(which is normally much higher than base demand) almost between 8 am to 12 pm

would be charged with a fixed penalty. While there

and from 6 pm to 10 pm. This means that the grid operators/ generators need to

are software’s and models available which could

produce extra power to keep the demand within limits. While few (generating) plants

predict the expected generation but not with

can provide such extra power (like hydro power) instantaneously, other plants need

expected confidence limits. This sets the path of ESS

adequate time to start their extra generating assets. Few plants also have spinning reserves up running continuously to provide extra power as and when needed.

Renewable plants now in order to supply (almost) constant source of power have

which would be of prime importance once these regulation are in full effect across the country.

(generally) battery or any other form of ESS. This helps renewable energy plants to

Let us all pledge to make solar energy the primary

mitigate the extra load. Known as Peak Shaving, it also helps the end consumer meet

source of energy in the near future.

its demand from the ESS while curbing the need of purchasing energy at higher tariffs.

MR. SUNIL RATHI Director- Sales & Marketing Waaree Energies ltd

This enables that the customers who install on-site generating and ESS equipment receive power at reduced rates year round.

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 24

INDUSTRY Industry Insights INSIGHTS

Solar PV Outlook To 2050 The deployment of renewables has been growing at a rapid pace in recent years, reaching record levels and outpacing annual conventional power capacity additions in many regions.

Historical 43%

Among all renewable technologies, solar PV power installations have been dominating the

8 519

Projections 8.9%

–

renewables industry for many years. As of the end of 2018, the global capacity of installed and grid-connected solar PV power reached 480 GW, representing a 20% year-on-year growth compared to 2017 (386 GW) and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly Considering ample resource availability, significant market potential and cost competitiveness, solar PV is expected to continue driving overall renewables growth in several regions over the next decade.

From today’s levels, IRENA’s REmap analysis shows that solar PV power installations could grow almost six fold over the next ten years, reaching a cumulative capacity of 2 840 GW globally by 2030 and rising to 8 519 GW by 2050.3 This implies total installed capacity

Cumulative installed capacity (GW)

43% since 2000

2 840

in 2050 almost eighteen times higher than in 2018. At a global level, around 60% of total solar PV capacity in 2050 would be utility scale, with the remaining 40% distributed

480

(rooftop). While utility-scale projects still predominate in 2050, the REmap analysis expects distributed solar PV installations to grow more rapidly, driven by policies and supportive

1

measures, as well as consumer engagement in the clean energy transformation. Recent trends in distributed solar PV and its benefits are explored.

Sources: Historical values based on IRENA’s renewable energy statistics (IRENA, 2019c) and future projections based on IRENA’s analysis (2019a).

Considering ample resource availability, significant market potential and cost competitiveness, solar PV is expected to continue driving overall renewables growth in several regions over the next decade.

Source - FUTURE OF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Leaders in Solar Park

Ranked among Top 10 Solar Companies in India Solar Parks in: Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh

500+ MW Solar Plant Installation

8 Solar Parks

500+ MW Installation

Offices : Jaipur | Delhi | Chandigarh +91 141 4600 500 | +91 844 844 9557

15+ O&M Centers

Spread Across 10 States

info@raysexperts.com

www.raysexperts.com | www.raysrooftop.com

w w w w w w .. ss oo ll aa rr qq uu aa rr tt ee rr .. cc oo m m

Solar SolarQuarter Quarter••November November2019 2019 25

Company Feature

The Future Of Inverters: Promoting Grid Parity What is the status of the current inverter market?

There has been a continuous expansion of the global market for solar inverters across 2018 and 2019, and the industry has also seen increases in shipments. Yet, according to data analysis of the solar inverter sector, there has not been a significant increase in revenue thanks to the continuous decline in inverter prices.

It is likely the energy storage and single-phase inverter will be the fastest-growing product by 2024. However, three-phase inverters are still set to dominate the industry, and this market domination links closely to the decline of the market value of China’s public utilities between 2017 and 2018. Across these two years, the market value decreased by roughly 35% as a result of the country’s market contradiction. This decrease is also owing to lower prices of the three-phase inverters. GTM predicts the market for global, utility-scale inverters will rebound into other parts of the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific area. At present, China has the lowest prices for these commercial-use inverters in the world However, the demand for China’s photovoltaic market as well as actual installed capacity has decreased with the implementation of the country’s new policy issued in May 2019.

These trends urge enterprises not only to focus on reducing costs and increasing efficiency of products but also to accelerate the intelligent upgrading of products further. This progression should help to achieve heightened grid parity by saving additional costs for smarter operation and maintenance.

Grid parity takes place when the population’s use of alternative energies – like solar – costs less than, or equal to, the price of using power from conventional sources such as fossil fuels.

Solis’ fifth generation is the future The power of the commercial three-phase series inverter has now stepped over the threshold and entered the era of 100kW+. Such advances will bring down the cost of investment in power stations and utility projects, thereby quickening return on these investments simultaneously.

After more than 10 years of rapid product development and market precipitation, the global refinement and intensification of PV products are becoming increasingly apparent. The focus of the industry is shifting towards higher levels of technical skill to lower costs of power generation.

Solis’ upcoming new 100kW + string inverters are new tools for achieving grid price averaging and have provided effective solutions for many countries around the world to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of photovoltaic power plants. Solis is making full use of its fifth-generation technology platform to do just this, as well as creating PV plants that are both digitised and intelligent. While adhering to the current technology standards, the company is sure to maintain the advantage of guaranteeing the stability of its products.

Moreover, the products’ high cost-performance ratio pushes China’s photovoltaic market to achieve grid parity.

ratio, which puts higher requirements on the device quality and overall design of the inverter. This feature also means more electricity can be generated during periods of low irradiance levels such as morning/evening or cloudy days.

2. The 100kW+ inverter communication mode supports optional PLC, meaning the communication cable is not required, thereby saving both time and money for customers.

3. The range also supports DC “Y” type access, as well as a large diameter AC aluminium alloy cable. The DC side of the inverter uses a 6mm2 DC cable to support the “Y” type access, saving 40% of the DC cable cost. The product is compatible with aluminium alloy cable access, reducing costs further as this product is substantially cheaper than the standard cable.

4. The product’s power factor is adjustable from 0.8 and above, providing customers with a wide range of fine-tuning space and a tremendous, reactive power compensation capability. This flexibility solves the problem of power factor failure and saves the cost of reactive power equipment for customers.

5. Solis’ 5G platform supports remote system upgrades and grid-point power control functions. This feature is useful in areas of unstable grid operation or where coordination of PV systems is required to improve the efficiency of service and maintenance.

Reliable 1. In the PV industry, fire is one of the most considerable yet also least discussed risks, particularly for rooftop applications. Solis is one of the first inverter manufacturers to promote an AFCI Application case with more than 10,000 inverters. The 5G inverter has an optional, integrated AFCI function, which can identify faults in the arc current while monitoring the PV model to inverse the fire at the input of the transformer. In the event of an arc fire, the inverter will cut off the circuit immediately to avoid 99% of the fire risk.

2. The fifth-generation inverter technology platform has a replaceable AC/DC secondary SPD. This feature provides a Level 1 lightning protection design for surge-prone areas to protect the inverter from the impact of lightning strikes.

3. Each two-way string, single-channel MPPT does not incorporate a fuse, reducing the maintenance of DC-side fuse replacement and the risk of fire from the source. Solis adopts intelligent redundant air cooling, too. Even if there is an external fan failure, the inverter can operate normally and is replaceable when the inverter is on standby to ensure consistent power generation.

4. Each DC input of the inverter is equipped with sensors. The current, voltage and power of each string can be observed from the monitoring system or the inverter display. In turn, group string data can be used to identify cluster installation failures quickly. The inverter simultaneously integrates the string cascade monitoring and intelligent IV curve scanning function to identify any string faults with scanning. The inverter can also provide corresponding solutions to ensure the system operates at its maximum performance.

What do the coming years have in store for solar inverters?

In 2020, the PV market will gradually enter the era of grid parity. Based on data analysis from GTM Research, the price of inverters will be unchanging from 2020 to 2024. Solis will, as always, continue to be customer-centric and committed to creating products and solutions which are both reliable and highly intelligent.

Solis endeavours to create excellent value for customers and accelerate the process of achieving grid parity. The company’s dedication to improving customer revenue and providing optimal power cost solutions sets it in good stead to ultimately become the world’s leading green, smart energy service provider.

About Ginlong Technologies

Benefits of the all-new Solis range Efficient 1. Solis inverters comprise internationally renowned components. Additionally, the products incorporate the application of new technologies such as adaptive parallel technology and wave-by-wave current limiting protection. The switching devices are protected while inverter conversion efficiency and continuous power are improved, too.

Established in 2005, Ginlong Technologies (Stock Code: 300763.SZ) is one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of PV string inverters. With 1,000+ employees worldwide, and 200+ technicians in the company. Presented under the Solis brand, the company’s portfolio uses innovative string inverter technology to deliver first-class reliability that has been validated under the most stringent international certifications. Armed with a global supply chain as well as world-class R&D and manufacturing capabilities, Ginlong optimizes its Solis inverters for each regional market, servicing and supporting customers with its team of local experts.

For more information on how cost-effective Solis delivers value while maximizing reliability for residential, commercial, and utility customers,visit www.ginlong.com

2. The brand-new range boasts a staggering efficiency of 99%, making the product line one of the most efficient on the market. This exceptional figure means more energy from the PV module can be converted into usable AC power for the household or business.

3. What’s more: the new range has the highest MPPTdensity degree of any other series previously released. A high MPPT density degree means each two-way string corresponds to one MPPT and, as a result, each 1MW of power benefits from 112.5 MPPT — a figure far higher than that of competing products. An MPPT, or ‘maximum power point’ tracker is an electronic DC-to-DC converter that optimises the match between the PV panels, and a battery or the grid. Similarly, the maximum DC input current of a single-string inverter supports 13A, which perfectly matches the current requirements of doublesided solar panels.

System friendly 1. Solis’ 5G range supports a 150% capacity ratio as well as a 110% overload operation for prolonged periods. 18 DC inputs allow for more than a 150% DC/AC tolerance

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 26

INDUSTRY Industry Insights INSIGHTS

Solar PV Performance Under Extreme Weather Events Extreme weather events are clearly affecting the solar industry and are becoming the biggest cause of failure of any PV plant. Solar installations have to cope with different natural disasters and, as the frequency of such extreme events grows, the industry will have to find ways of surviving and adjusting to them. Indeed, design, construction and operational factors greatly influence a PV system’s survivability from a severe weather event. As such, the industry’s efforts are channelled towards both technical improvements and the development and application of updated codes and standards to keep up with the lessons learned from field experience.

Fire There have been fire-related incidents involving PV systems in several countries, such as the United States, Germany and Japan. In the very rare cases where the PV system was the main cause and source of the fire, the main causes relate to ground or arc faults. However, regardless of the source of the fire, PV systems can affect the ability of firefighters to extinguish the flames. Common hazards include: electrical shocks, collapse of roof structures due to the additional weight of a PV system, and slippery glass surfaces on an inclined roof.

Besides introducing guidelines for firefighters, countries have also produced guidelines on technologies, products and installation to mitigate fire hazards. These include, for instance, guidance on installation to reduce the incidence of fires and shocks (e.g. ground-fault circuit interrupters [GFCIs] and arc-fault circuit interrupters [AFCIs]) (IEA-PVPS, 2017).

Hurricanes and tornadoes Recent storms have not only highlighted factors contributing to PV system survivability, but also those leading to failure. Having good O&M practices is a key factor in survivability and pre- and post-storm measures can be applied to minimise damage and recovery time. One of the most common causes of equipment loss are solar fasteners. An easy measure to prevent disassembly is to properly use twist fasteners with a true locking capability and highly effective hardware and then proceed to audit the results. Clamping fasteners, which are very practical and fast and easy to assemble, are not adequate for PV systems in extreme weather areas, as they can be easily damaged in high winds. In addition, since one clamping fastener is shared between two modules, the loss of one creates a domino effect and causes the loss of neighbouring modules. A solution to this is to fasten the module to the support structure through mounting holes, using fasteners with specific twist ratings. Module selection is also another important aspect, as preference should be given to modules that have the highest ratings in terms of resistance to pressure. Similarly, modules should be well supported by frame elements to avoid bending and twisting during strong winds. Solar racking with a threeframe rail system for module mounting provides greater rigidity and support than a two-frame rail. Trackers for solar arrays have also improved in design and no longer depend on steel to support them, but rather use control sensors to adjust the angle in relation to wind strength and safely position the panel during storms.

scientists and engineers working around the globe (Kelly and Mahesh, n.d.). One of the task force’s key efforts is to develop scientific methods to predict possible failure by creating new or improved standards. As with many industries, the PV industry has gone through a long history and progression of standards development, which play a central role in supporting technological innovation and the emergence of an industry. The PV industry has achieved a high level of maturity and mass production, meaning that the equipment and raw materials for panel manufacturing need to be standardised. For instance, “ingress protection levels” are used for inverters, cables and modules, and the assigned number tells the customer in a very simple way the degree to which an inverter is protected from rain and dust.

The PV industry is evolving at a fast pace and the process of international standardisation tends to move too slowly to match certain industry developments. For instance, the further development of standardisation, certification, inspection and testing services is clearly necessary, especially regarding: 1) the durability of solar modules, 2) defined quality requirements in national programmes to develop solar PV, 3) certification schemes for PV systems and their installers both in emerging and mature markets,4) public guidelines for the effective design and installation of distributed and off-grid PV systems in developing countries. Also, in the context of failures relating to wind, which is the most common reason for damage to PV systems, there is a lack of standards to sufficiently inform manufacturers and project developers. There are no wind load standards that take into account static and dynamic loads specific to single-axis solar trackers.

Source - FUTURE OF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

The Importance Of Standards In The Solar Industry Standards are essential for ensuring safety and quality in the solar PV sector, especially because the reliability, performance and durability of solar equipment is critical to ensuring smooth operation of solar power plants.

Moreover, compliance with minimum standards is also often a prerequisite for feed-in-tariffs provided by governments to solar power developers. Currently, almost all modules are certified to meet international standards for design qualification and safety, even if there are still examples of failure in large-scale modules and PV systems, as well as outright fraud.

International efforts are therefore channelled towards strengthening standards for quality management systems for module factories and visual inspection of incoming products. Given the need to improve understanding of product reliability and validation, in 2011 the International PV Quality Assurance Task Force (PVQAT) was formed, initially only comprising US, European and Japanese national laboratories. It has now expanded to include over 700

w w w w w w .. ss oo ll aa rr qq uu aa rr tt ee rr .. cc oo m m

Solar SolarQuarter Quarter••November November2019 2019 27

Perspective

Factors That Will Further Aid Solar Rooftop Installation In North East Rishikesh Mishra, Area Manager-Solar Development, Arunachal Pradesh Power Corporation Pvt. Ltd. Government has set up massive goals for solar power generation,

The capacity of the solar parks shall be 500 MW at least for General states as per MNRE.

Solar share being 100 GW out of 175GW from Renewable Energy.

However, smaller parks are also considered in States where there is shortage of non-

As it truly has a large potential for renewable energy and the

agricultural land like NE states, thus making it possible to implement these projects.

in the coming years, India is set to be one of the largest solar

With PM KUSUM schemes being promoted, Farmers involving themselves (No. of farmers

power producers with the generation being used across Homes,

is large here) is the most important part so that benefit provided by the government is

Industries, agriculture, etc. Northeast being part of the journey keeping feet’s forward in

well utilised by them, utilising the power required for water pumps in day by Solar as the

achieving so.

agricultural activity is carried out during day , helping in better progress of them with state

The total capacity of Solar installed in India till date is nearly 40 GW and out of which 4 GW

progressing, further reducing T&D losses.

is Rooftop Solar Plants. In Northeast the need is to go for Maximum Rooftop Solar’s as the

Along with this the projects floated by GOI & States have been working on Health centres

land over are here majorly fertile, giving very rare pieces of waste land in the all 8 states

too to get them with Solar Powered with energy storage for emergency situations/ blood

in Northeast. We need to actively increase the Rooftop installations overall, and Northeast

banks, on Police stations and other needy places. As north-eastern states are always

can be a part of this as plenty rooftop are available with needs that can be fulfilled with

surrounded by natural calamities / heavy rain the tress is there a lot & make damages

Rooftop Solar’s easily. Such example is, Govt prepared and marching the people of NE

to the power lines and thus creating issue for short while no matter how hard the Power

with having targeted solar power capacity expansion of 590 MW by 2020 in the state of

department works day in day out.

Assam by means of multiple models of solar power generation. And so forth for the other NE states.

And other alternatives are also looked upon, like there are large water bodies in NE. And tapping the power from Floating seems to be a viable option too when we have land

Coming to rooftops, Roofs (typical Assam-type house commonly built in North-eastern

constraints. Some pilot floating plants have been installed, and recently APDCL (Assam

India, due to weather and rains) are easily available with Metallic sheets, so the installations

Utility) has also floated tender for floating solar, and there is huge capacity to be tapped

time is also less and easy to go for the Rooftop Solar. Peoples are needed to be educated

from floating in NE. Once installed these projects will further speak themselves with live

more about solar and it is successful in NE too. Government have also worked since long

examples and further implementations in other states/places will be much easier.

for promoting Rooftop Solar to maximum extend through GOA/SNA’s/DISCOMS , and it can be seen in the tenders floated by the State’s major of them being Rooftop ones in every states of NE region recent examples are Assam state have floated tendered (Awarded & To Be Awarded) an approx of 17 MW as of Rooftop plants (On grid & Off Grid combined). Meghalaya actively working in the same with an approx. capacity of 6 MWp in the next coming few months rest of the 6 states too working fiercely with large rooftop solar installations.

Furthermore, local developers need to come up to be a part of this green energy movement - Install, Manage and Operate these plants to its maximum efficiency. Skilled labours are needed to be devolved more; they will be the main backbone to run these plants in long run effectively. And continuous investment in the technologically advanced components like focus on MPPT Inverters/ Structures/ Higher efficiency Modules are needed to get the best generations & to decrease the BOS costs and make the whole exercise to be fruitful.

In addition, net-metering regulations have been notified by respective state regulatory

Along with this large ground mounted projects are also being constructed where after

commissions of these States & Rooftop solar policies have also been notified by States.

evaluating every factors it was found that the installations are possible for benefits of the

Making it easier to implement the projects, constant support like this is needed from the

state and peoples, like in Assam already foundation stone of Ground mounted 70 MWp

Govt end to make it possible.

have been laid, Plant of 100 MWp & 25 MWp Capacity have been tendered in Assam to set up in OPEX with 25 years PPA. Other states too working on identifying such places where Ground mounting large projects will be feasible keeping in mind the environment.

Thus, clearly northeast is marching toward the green movement will increasing its Solar PV Plant capacity and complementing its title of “where sunlight hits first in India” with starting the solar generation of the day in India.

Mr. Bhaskar Kakoty, Co-founder & Director, Free Power Technology Private Limited Fever of ‘Solar’ is gradually taking momentum in the North East,

average Solar Insolation/ radiation of NE is 3.5 to 4.5 kWh/m2 /d per square meter. This

although it is still behind the national average. The state nodal

is lower than the national average but higher than many countries in the world who are

agencies are taking initiatives with the schemes (subsidy) from

effectively using solar energy today. So there is a need for creating awareness by way of

MNRE to increase The and popularize the ‘solar rooftop in the

commercial advertisements, exhibitions etc.

north east’. Almost every states in the north east are working on solar rooftop and other solar projects. However, the achievement ratio of these schemes

� Awareness and availability of finance are two very important factors in the growth of industrial and commercial solar rooftop in NE.

need further improvement. The major factors affecting the same are � The ecosystem needs to develop further. The grid power is very erratic in most of the places except for the capital towns. This is a challenge for promoting ‘grid-connected solar rooftop’ where subsidy is available today. The users in those places looks for an

The awareness among people is one major

‘off-grid’ system but non availability of subsidy in ‘off-grid’ works as a deterrent factor.

Therefore, the subsidy should be extended for small off-grid system (up to 5KW max.)

ELSE the Govts./ DISCOM should ensure stable grid so that public can take benefit of MNRE subsidy. � Resources – availability of trained manpower, local warehouse, good quality mounting structures (GI), DC cables, connectors etc. are very critical factors for its growth. � The awareness among people is one major factor. Due to the weather conditions there

factor. Due to the weather conditions there is a perception that solar solutions cannot work properly in NE.

is a perception that solar solutions cannot work properly in NE. But the fact is that the

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 28

Mr. Aakash Garg, CEO, Natsakee Incorporation The most relevant factor that have ruled Solar Rooftop

Government’s emphasis on ON GRID system should change to Hybrid Systems specially

Installations is size of Government Procurement. Though recently

for northeast Region as the region have an acute power shortage.

small number of projects have come from private sector but they

Further, Technical specifications should be different with higher module size for the North

mostly have been from big Industries who installed them as a

east due to less solar irradiation hours in the region. This is an important factor as with

part of their centralized procurement. So, Government has to

reduced module wattage, batteries do not charge and most systems fail in course of time.

include more renewable energy projects in their procurement.

I would also like to suggest Government to allow 50% of the allowed subsidy to Commercial

A large scale public awareness campaign from all stakeholder could boost the movement

and Industrial Sector in Northeast Region to promote Solar and other renewable energy

which is missing till date.

sources. It will act as a catalyst for mass installations in the region. Local Discoms can

Increased availability of skilled man power will remove the hindrances faced in a quality

also allow a rebate on electrical tariff to people installing solar rooftops without subsidy

solar system installation. Also being a solar technician will become a source of mass

including both residential and Industrial beneficiaries to promote the installations.

employment in the region.

Mr. Ujjal Das, Director, Arohan Power and Energy Pvt Ltd 1. We have seen that in recent years the growth of solar energy domain in North East markets had been phenomenal due to active support shown by government policies including Subsidized

There is an utmost need of increase in

solar system installation programmes.

2. There is an utmost need of increase in Domestic manufacturing units of raw materials, components and products to cut down import duty expenses on PV solar modules. There is also a lack of closer industry government co operation for the technology to achieve scale.

3. Newly incorporated enterprises / entrepreneurs should be given a platform to be empaneled by the

Domestic manufacturing units of raw materials, components and products to cut down import duty expenses on PV solar

4. Government. Increase in state’s Investment in research and development of this technology would play a vital role towards the goal.

modules.

5. Focus should also be given to solar power park. State should also boost solar projects spread on the canal Branches of our mighty river.

Mr. Manas Das, Director- Sales, Green Shade Consultants It has been seen that, the Northeast India has been adopting renewable energy at a very fast pace. India as a hole is also emerging in the global arena as a leading producer of renewable energy. In its efforts to move further towards sustainable development, the government of India has set certain target to achieve by the end of 2022 and Northeast India too is contributing its part to this national target.

The solar journey stated at Northeast start a little late then the other state, whatever the reason was, but today northeast India is all geared up to give a better and greener energy to the people of this part of the country. To make solar energy popular among the masses was to make the people understand how easy and effective it is to generate power and the best way was to show them how power can be generated from their own roofs, this is how the journey started at northeast with all the Nodal agencies of all the northeast state started working hand to hand with MNRE and stated to promote and generate solar power from rooftops, Nodal agencies in the state of Assam, Manipur , Meghalaya had been quiet instrumental in making rooftop solar reach to the masses and efforts are on to further make it big, that day is not far off when we would see solar power run northeast.

Lots have to be still worked into to make Rooftop solar area, it has been seen that EPC contractors in northeast has to get each and every thing from outside northeast which is time consuming, extra money needed on transportation, geographical weather constrain, that’s the reason why northeast India need manufactures that can make materials ready to contactors on time and better price. More financial institutions should come forward to give financial assistance to customers in for of loan to set up RTS plants at nominal rate of interest. All these state has subsidies offered up to 70% in residential, Institutional and social sectors, but that not enough certain subsidy should be offered to the industrial sector as well, so that bigger rooftop plants can come in.

The tomorrow looks very bright for northeast and with so much of effort going in by the people of this part of the country northeast will lit bright and contribute its part to the notional building.

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 29 29

Product Feature

Solar Energy: Solution For Photovoltaics By Phoenix Contact Seamless connection technology from the photovoltaic panel to the supply The requirements of the planning, installation and operation of PV systems are broadly diversified. In the design of the electrical installation, not only the initial investment is decisive for profitability, but also the avoidance of losses and the use of material and resources. A comprehensive and coordinated DC installation system offers many possibilities When designing the electrical installation of a PV system, the cost of the installation always plays an important role. The connection technology should meet the required standards and be as favorable as possible in the purchase. However, if the installation is to be reliable and economical in the long term, the connection technology must be carefully selected.

Single-part spring-loaded connectors In addition to the uniformity and continuity of a PV installation system, the tools also play a role in cost considerations. Especially the crimp tools are important for the quality of the connection - these often expensive special tools have to be included in the total calculation. In this case, an alternative is provided by connectors with a spring connection technique, for which no special tools are required. Many installers consider the one-part design of these components as a big advantage: the cumbersome crimping of the small contact in working environments with limited space conditions - for example in field or on-roof installations - is no longer necessary. This time saving significantly contributes to the efficiency of the plant - a time saving of 25 - 30 percent is then not a rarity.

1500 V system voltage A connection system with a large connection area of 2.5 mm² to 16 mm² simplifies cable selection, larger cable cross sections - from 10 mm² to 16 mm² or 6 to 8 AWG - reduce losses. The design of PV systems to a system voltage of 1500 V is currently gaining importance in the market. This is demonstrated not least by the new standard for PV cables, DIN EN 50618. Suitable connectors - such as the PV connector Sunclix from Phoenix Contact - have long been available on the market. With a higher system voltage, it is now possible to group a larger number of modules into strings. In this way a considerable part of the cabling is saved.

Y-distributor for flexible installation concepts For the parallel connection, Y-distributors have been available for years, which are wired or offered as a connector block. The Y-distributor connects two current paths, for example, two string lines in a solar system. Depending on the combination, strings can be combined in large systems in front of generator connection boxes in order to reduce the number of string fuses or diodes. In small systems, several strings can be merged in a simplified manner before inverters, and existing systems can also be conveniently expanded in this way.

PTSPL 6: Single position THR solderable mini power connector PTSPL 6 has been introduced by Phoenix Contact which requires less space on PCB as compare to other power connector of same rating. However, it accommodates large cable cross section up to 6 mm2. It is the first high current connector developed by Phoenix Contact for power application but without insulating body. It is suitable for THR soldering process and a very cost effective solution for inverter manufacturers in Photovoltaic and wind energy.

It

accommodates

large

cable

cross

section up to 6 mm2. It is the first high current connector developed by Phoenix Contact for power application but without insulating body. It is suitable for THR soldering process and a very cost effective solution for inverter manufacturers in Photovoltaic and wind energy.

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 30

Product Feature

The Future Of Inverters: Promoting Grid Parity What is the status of the current inverter market?

There has been a continuous expansion of the global market for solar inverters across 2018 and 2019, and the industry has also seen increases in shipments. Yet, according to data analysis of the solar inverter sector, there has not been a significant increase in revenue thanks to the continuous decline in inverter prices.

It is likely the energy storage and single-phase inverter will be the fastest-growing product by 2024. However, three-phase inverters are still set to dominate the industry, and this market domination links closely to the decline of the market value of China’s public utilities between 2017 and 2018. Across these two years, the market value decreased by roughly 35% as a result of the country’s market contradiction. This decrease is also owing to lower prices of the three-phase inverters. GTM predicts the market for global, utility-scale inverters will rebound into other parts of the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific area. At present, China has the lowest prices for these commercial-use inverters in the world However, the demand for China’s photovoltaic market as well as actual installed capacity has decreased with the implementation of the country’s new policy issued in May 2019.

These trends urge enterprises not only to focus on reducing costs and increasing efficiency of products but also to accelerate the intelligent upgrading of products further. This progression should help to achieve heightened grid parity by saving additional costs for smarter operation and maintenance.

Grid parity takes place when the population’s use of alternative energies – like solar – costs less than, or equal to, the price of using power from conventional sources such as fossil fuels.

Solis’ fifth generation is the future The power of the commercial three-phase series inverter has now stepped over the threshold and entered the era of 100kW+. Such advances will bring down the cost of investment in power stations and utility projects, thereby quickening return on these investments simultaneously.

After more than 10 years of rapid product development and market precipitation, the global refinement and intensification of PV products are becoming increasingly apparent.

The focus of the industry is shifting towards higher levels of technical skill to lower costs of power generation.

Solis’ upcoming new 100kW + string inverters are new tools for achieving grid price averaging and have provided effective solutions for many countries around the world to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of photovoltaic power plants. Solis is making full use of its fifth-generation technology platform to do just this, as well as creating PV plants that are both digitised and intelligent. While adhering to the current technology standards, the company is sure to maintain the advantage of guaranteeing the stability of its products. Moreover, the products’ high cost-performance ratio pushes China’s photovoltaic market to achieve grid parity.

the event of an arc fire, the inverter will cut off the circuit immediately to avoid 99% of the fire risk.

2. The fifth-generation inverter technology platform has a replaceable AC/DC secondary SPD. This feature provides a Level 1 lightning protection design for surge-prone areas to protect the inverter from the impact of lightning strikes.

3. Each two-way string, single-channel MPPT does not incorporate a fuse, reducing the maintenance of DC-side fuse replacement and the risk of fire from the source. Solis adopts intelligent redundant air cooling, too. Even if there is an external fan failure, the inverter can operate normally and is replaceable when the inverter is on standby to ensure consistent power generation.

4. Each DC input of the inverter is equipped with sensors. The current, voltage and power of each string can be observed from the monitoring system or the inverter display.

In turn, group string data can be used to identify cluster installation failures quickly.

The inverter simultaneously integrates the string cascade monitoring and intelligent IV curve scanning function to identify any string faults with scanning. The inverter can also provide corresponding solutions to ensure the system operates at its maximum performance.

What do the coming years have in store for solar inverters?

In 2020, the PV market will gradually enter the era of grid parity. Based on data analysis from GTM Research, the price of inverters will be unchanging from 2020 to 2024. Solis will, as always, continue to be customer-centric and committed to creating products and solutions which are both reliable and highly intelligent.

Solis endeavours to create excellent value for customers and accelerate the process of achieving grid parity. The company’s dedication to improving customer revenue and providing optimal power cost solutions sets it in good stead to ultimately become the world’s leading green, smart energy service provider.

About Ginlong Technologies Established in 2005, Ginlong Technologies (Stock Code: 300763.SZ) is one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of PV string inverters. With 1,000+ employees worldwide, and 200+ technicians in the company. Presented under the Solis brand, the company’s portfolio uses innovative string inverter technology to deliver first-class reliability that has been validated under the most stringent international certifications. Armed with a global supply chain as well as world-class R&D and manufacturing capabilities, Ginlong optimizes its Solis inverters for each regional market, servicing and supporting customers with its team of local experts. For more information on how cost-effective Solis delivers value while maximizing reliability for residential, commercial, and utility customers,visit www.ginlong.com

Benefits of the all-new Solis range Efficient 1. Solis inverters comprise internationally renowned components. Additionally, the products incorporate the application of new technologies such as adaptive parallel technology and wave-by-wave current limiting protection. The switching devices are protected while inverter conversion efficiency and continuous power are improved, too.

IDENTIFY SOLAR PROBLEMS THERMALLY

2. The brand-new range boasts a staggering efficiency of 99%, making the product line one of the most efficient on the market. This exceptional figure means more energy from the PV module can be converted into usable AC power for the household or business.

System friendly 1. Solis’ 5G range supports a 150% capacity ratio as well as a 110% overload operation for prolonged periods. 18 DC inputs allow for more than a 150% DC/AC tolerance ratio, which puts higher requirements on the device quality and overall design of the inverter. This feature also means more electricity can be generated during periods of low irradiance levels such as morning/evening or cloudy days.

2. The 100kW+ inverter communication mode supports optional PLC, meaning the communication cable is not required, thereby saving both time and money for customers.

3. The range also supports DC “Y” type access, as well as a large diameter AC aluminium alloy cable. The DC side of the inverter uses a 6mm2 DC cable to support the “Y” type access, saving 40% of the DC cable cost. The product is compatible with aluminium alloy cable access, reducing costs further as this product is substantially cheaper than the standard cable.

FLIR thermal camera helps to: • Prevent failure before it happens • Increase revenue • Increase lifetime & functionality of solar panels The FLIR T640 thermal imaging camera is the perfect tool for solar panel inspections.

Quality assurance and failure-free operation of the solar panels is a prerequisite for efficient power generation, long life, and a high return on the investment. To ensure this failure free operation, FLIR offers a fast, simple and reliable method to evaluate a solar panel’s performance during the production process and after the panel installation. FLIR thermal imaging cameras help scanning solar panels during normal operation and detect anomalies quickly within a short time frame.

4. The product’s power factor is adjustable from 0.8 and above, providing customers with a wide range of fine-tuning space and a tremendous, reactive power compensation capability. This flexibility solves the problem of power factor failure and saves the cost of reactive power equipment for customers.

5. Solis’ 5G platform supports remote system upgrades and grid-point power control functions. This feature is useful in areas of unstable grid operation or where coordination of PV systems is required to improve the efficiency of service and maintenance.

Reliable

With thermal imaging complete panels can be inspected in one view. Anomalies in the solar panels clearly show up in these thermal images

For more details, please call us on: +91-11-4560 3555 or write to us at flirindia@flir.com.hk FLIR Systems India Pvt. Ltd. 1111, D Mall, Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura, New Delhi – 110034 | Fax: +91-11-4721 2006

/FLIR |

/FLIR |

/FLIR

WWW.FLIR.IN

1. In the PV industry, fire is one of the most considerable yet also least discussed risks, particularly for rooftop applications. Solis is one of the first inverter manufacturers to promote an AFCI Application case with more than 10,000 inverters. The 5G inverter has an optional, integrated AFCI function, which can identify faults in the arc current while monitoring the PV model to inverse the fire at the input of the transformer. In FLIR Solar Ad New 4.9x8 inches.indd 1

ww ww ww . . ss oo l l aa r r qq uu aa r r t t ee r r . . cc oo mm

This hot spot within one solar cell indicates physical damage within the cell.

Images for illustrative purposes only.

3. What’s more: the new range has the highest MPPTdensity degree of any other series previously released. A high MPPT density degree means each two-way string corresponds to one MPPT and, as a result, each 1MW of power benefits from 112.5 MPPT — a figure far higher than that of competing products. An MPPT, or ‘maximum power point’ tracker is an electronic DC-to-DC converter that optimises the match between the PV panels, and a battery or the grid. Similarly, the maximum DC input current of a single-string inverter supports 13A, which perfectly matches the current requirements of double-sided solar panels.

08/08/18 5:51 PM

Solar SolarQuarter Quarter• •November November2019 2019 31 31

Perspective

Will The Indian Solar Sector Be Able To Keep Its Upward Trajectory Going Forward Mr. Abhishek Verma, Vice President - Marketing & Projects, Kotak Urja Private Limited Currently Indian Solar Sector is at loggerheads with State’s Solar

E-mobility should be encouraged with the utilization of solar energy. Urgent Policy action

Policies over the issue of Net Metering/ Gross Metering and

to incentivize storage solutions needs to be formalized, if India has to emerge as a Storage

now new connotation “Net Billing “ is popping up, proposed by

Hub, we need to act now.

MERC in their recently released draft policy. Under DCR content, recent MNRE’s push to use mandatorily Indian manufactured solar cells in Indian make PV modules, has pedaled down to its almost crawling stage as by all calculations the overall capacity of Indian manufactured Cells (processed through

As of June 2019, we have achieved about 31% of the total target set forth by The Government. Breaking it down further, installed rooftop solar comprises a mere 3.5% of the total target. Coupled with the above mentioned roadblocks, the bigger issue lies with

right from undiffused wafers) are well falling short against in-house Indian PV Module

the States and State Nodal agencies, who are working independently and dictating their

manufacturing capacity and hence objective to support Indian Solar Sector vide DCR push

own policies. In order to maintain the trajectory, we need “ONE NATION, ONE POLICY”

is falling flat. Investor/Developer sentiments are down because of these inconsistencies

(like GST) with a single window clearance. It’s high time that this is addressed and steps

and also because of lack of financial support/mechanisms from Banks and Institutions.

are taken to align policies, infrastructure, manufacturing and financing, else, we will not be

Government is pushing E-mobility without fixing its basic infrastructural requirements.

able to maintain this upward trajectory to meet the goals set by the Government of India.

Mr. K. R. Harinarayan, Founder and CEO, U-Solar Clean Energy Solutions Pvt. Ltd. To put it simply, yes. The upwards trajectory of the Indian solar

developers willing to take up these projects.

sector can be sustainable. In brief, it boils down to the existence

At U-Solar for instance, we have the expertise and capability of serving clients across India

of demand and prevalence of supply. Let us explore the demand.

As solar has become economically feasible, since it reached grid parity, there is a clear business sense in adopting the clean energy technology. Additionally, due to the increasing awareness on climate change there has been a growing interest in clean technologies ie. solar energy systems. There are no issues in the perspective of technology adaptability; as it is cost effective, has clear energy

to provide them with customized solar systems. As we develop new innovative projects, it is evident that our market share is increasing year on year. Having said that, the biggest challenges in solar adoption in India are regulatory in nature. Although on the one hand the central government advocates a grand vision for solar adoption, on the other hand the state governments create regulatory obstacles for developers to operate. Policies such as

savings as well as an impact to mitigate climate change. One of the many contributors to

the implementation of gross metering, a cap on total solar capacity allowed, cross-subsidy

climate change is the use of unclean energy and solar is a much cleaner alternative that

charges, anti-dumping duty for solar panels and many more are creating bottlenecks in

directly mitigates those effects. There is, therefore a definite demand for solar in the Indian

the growth of the solar sector. This is however, something that we hope will evolve and

market. In terms of supply to meet this demand India has in place a vast ecosystem of

stabilise over time.

Mr. Manish Asija, CEO, enPossibilities Private Limited Solar power has established itself as the preferred choice globally

of improved forecasting of renewable power as well as demand, alignment of national and

over the last one decade. The geographical location of India

state level policies (with their implementation plans), added emphasis on development and

offers supportive grounds for the solar industry. India comes

operational management of storage technologies, increased flexibility of generation fleet,

under the tropical region, which receives enormous amounts of

expansion of transmission corridors, demand side management, developing domestic

solar radiation all through the year, which approximately counts

manufacturing capability and O&M support.

up to 3,000 long hours of sunshine. MNRE estimates show that India’s solar potential is

The modular nature of solar can contribute in the penetration of rooftop solar in domestic

greater than 750 GW.

installation. Flexible financing options for individuals to install rooftop solar would support

Recent bids in India have proven that solar power is going to grow as the costs can now

a faster adoption of solar energy and make it more available, accessible and affordable.

compete with any other conventional source. Costs for setting up solar projects has dropped by about 80 per cent between 2010 and 2018 (IRENA analysis).

India is one of the fastest growing economy, the per capita consumption of power is going to grow further with increasing urbanization and demographic expansion. Adoption of EVs is an upcoming wave, poised to tilt the equation towards bigger demand supply deficits.

Sector has witnessed a slowdown in the growth rate of capacity addition, especially during the last one year, this is primarily attributed to the ill-conceived policies, few instances of disregarding the signed and committed power purchase agreements (PPAs), serious land acquisition crunches and delays in strengthening the transmission infrastructure. Another major concern is the liquidity position in the market. The delays in receipt of payments and often generation curtailments from discoms are adding to the woes of solar developers, thereby affecting the investor’s sentiment adversely.

Strong goals will continue to be crucial in pushing the growth of solar sector in the country. If Indian solar sector has to maintain the upward trajectory, it need favorable

Recent bids in India have proven that solar power is going to grow as the costs can now compete with any other conventional source. Costs for setting up solar projects has dropped by about 80 per cent between 2010 and 2018 (IRENA analysis).

policies along with how effectively the sector mitigates risks, like, timely implementation

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 32

INDUSTRY Industry Insights INSIGHTS

Investments Needed To Hold The Line

Investments in clean energy stalled over the last three years while investments in fossil fuel

flexibility, and other technologies. But it would also render unnecessary USD 18.6 trillion

sectors rose, indicating a clear mismatch between current trends and the decarbonisation

in investments in fossil fuels, leaving an overall incremental investment need of USD 15

pathway envisaged by the Paris Agreement, which is also reflected in the 1.5°C limit

trillion to 2050 (or USD 441 billion/year), a 16% increase in investment over Current Plans.

recommended by the IPCC. IRENA estimates that global investment in renewable power came to USD 309 billion in 2018, down slightly from the 2017 level.6 Another USD 20 billion was invested in end-

Recent bids in India have proven that solar power

user renewables (solar thermal, bioenergy for heating, geothermal heat, etc.), bringing

is going to grow as the costs can now compete with

the year’s total renewable energy investment to USD 329 billion. Investment is also taking

any other conventional source. Costs for setting up

place in innovation and research and development. An estimated USD 50 billion was invested in “smart energy,” considered to be equity raising by companies focusing on smart grids, digital energy, energy storage and electric vehicles. Global public investment

solar projects has dropped by about 80 per cent between 2010 and 2018 (IRENA analysis).

in R&D related to low-carbon energy technologies grew by 5% over the year, according to the International Energy Agency, reaching USD 23 billion, while corporate investment in

Source - TRANSFORMING THE ENERGY SYSTEM International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

clean energy amounted to around USD 90 billion.

Under current plans and policies, investments will need to increase by 50% from recent volumes to meet growing global energy demand. Getting on the 1.5°C pathway will require a doubling of current annual investments in clean technologies. From now through 2050, cumulative investments in the energy system – including infrastructure and clean technologies – would be USD 95 trillion under the Current Plans scenario; and USD 110 trillion under Energy Transformation.

Around USD 3.2 trillion would have to be invested each year (representing about 2% of average global gross domestic product [GDP] over the period) to achieve the lowcarbon energy system, some USD 0.5 trillion more than under Current Plans. To put this in perspective, 2017 investment in the global energy system was USD 1.8 trillion. Renewable energy and associated infrastructure would account for just under half of the difference between the two scenarios, with energy efficiency and electrification of transport and heat applications absorbing the rest.

Deploying the solutions and technologies required to reduce the carbon intensity of the global economy by two-thirds by 2050, as in the Energy Transformation case, would result in lowering total primary energy supply in that year slightly below current levels, even though the economy would be three times larger than today.

Looking further at how investment volume changes over time in the Energy Transformation case, average annual investments in the energy sector would amount to USD 4.3 trillion until 2030, more than double the historical average level of USD 1.85 trillion. The bulk is needed for energy efficiency measures in end-user applications and investments in the power sector, with most of the remainder going to upstream primary energy supply, plus a small amount for renewable energy in end uses.

However, greater incremental investments would still be needed for energy efficiency improvements in end-user sectors and for measures to enable power grids to accommodate rising shares of variable renewable energy. Investments in direct end-user renewable energy technologies would also need to triple between 2030 and 2050.

The transition towards a decarbonised global energy system will require scaling up investments in the energy sector by a further 16% over Current Plans – an additional USD 15 trillion by 2050 – with the composition of investments shifting away from the fossil fuel sector (Table 2.1). Overall, the Energy Transformation case would require an additional investment of USD 36 trillion in energy efficiency, renewable energy, power grids and

w w w w w w .. ss oo ll aa rr qq uu aa rr tt ee rr .. cc oo m m

Solar SolarQuarter Quarter••November November2019 2019 33

Success Stories

Renewing Life To Surpass Unparalleled Quality & Business Support Goldi Solar started with a small footprint of 10 MW modules production line in the year 2011 and achieved a CAGR of 80% in first 5 years and reached the current production capacity of 500 MW. Many small, medium and large-scale projects have used Goldi modules and has garnered a good product recall value amongst its customers. Goldi’s customers include many PSUs, leading EPC companies, and module manufacturers.

Goldi Solar launched their new corporate identity at REI 2018. The name of the Company was rebranded from Goldi Green Technologies to Goldi Solar Pvt Ltd with a motive of extending renewed life in the coming years. ‘Renewed Life’ was hence most appropriate new tagline of the company. “The motto is to infuse new life into all the departments of the company which will pave way towards complete corporatisation of Goldi Solar”.

Goldi Solar is set towards expanding its manufacturing capacity up to 1GW to meet the ever-increasing demand for its Solar PV Modules. With huge customer base in India and Internationally, the expansion in production will fulfil demand of customers across the globe. The company is also exploring high-efficiency PERC cell manufacturing in India.

Goldi’s EPC arm has shown record progress in rooftop solar segment for 2 years by adding 2000+ customers in its portfolio. The strength of EPC Division lies in its Products & Services. Their well-trained professional team of engineers reached out to the rooftop solar customers in timely manner. In the coming year Goldi Solar is gearing up to acquire Utility Scale projects in India.

Goldi Solar’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is on National Highway 48, near Surat, Gujarat and they have recently moved to a new corporate office space in the heart of Surat city along with regional offices in Mumbai & New Delhi.

Company’s manufacturing capabilities: They manufacture PV Modules up to the range of 365Wp using Poly and Mono Crystalline Solar cells in an ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 & OHSAS 18001:2007 certified facility and have an annual production capacity of 500MW. They possess technological edge from industry leaders and have a fully automatic and robotic manufacturing facility with an annual capacity of 500MW. Their modules have undergone all stringent quality tests at SGS TUV SAAR and Underwriters Laboratories (UL), along with being certified for PID resistance.

They are also a leading OEM Solar PV Module company, catering to many international brands across the globe and delivering unmatched quality at a competitive price.

The high standards of quality and excellence that the company has set in the manufacturing processes, work force, delivery schedules and customer satisfaction, has been consequential for them in getting regular and repeated orders from the global market and has earned them a name as the leading exporters of Solar PV modules to Europe, U.S.A., China, Japan, Africa and many other countries.

According to Mr. Ishver Dholakiya - Managing Director, Goldi Solar, “Renewable Energy industry specifically solar power has lot of potential not only in India but across the globe, and Goldi believes in sustainable development with our core values being in our DNA i.e.

Top-Notch Quality products, Customer Satisfaction, Business Transparency and unparallel customer support”.

Mr. Bharat Bhut - Director, Goldi Solar, further commented saying “The success of Goldi Solar is attributed to our team of 500 youth, majorly from tribal areas of South Gujarat. We have trained & transformed them into industry ready professionals to manage automated & robotised production lines. They follow world standards like 5-S Kaizen and 6-sigma lean manufacturing practices resulting in high quality modules for which Goldi Solar is known worldwide. 3 out of 4 individuals on our shop floor were under-privileged ones.

Today, we are privileged to have them”.

Achievements: Goldi Solar has been recognized and certified as ‘Star Export House’ of India by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India, and has been a recipient of a number of accolades for outstanding performance and business principles.

Certifications: Their modules are certified for IEC61215, IEC61730, UL1703, IEC61701, IEC62716, IEC62804 (PID) and CE Marking.

They are compliant with the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards.

We are certified for: ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management System ISO 14001:2015 – Environmental Management System OHSAS 18001:2007 – Occupational Health & Safety Assessment Series

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 34 Solar

INDUSTRY Industry Insights INSIGHTS

Market Expansion - Solar Modules & Inverters

Solar PV power is one of the fastest-growing energy resources in the world and is now the

At a country level, China, the United States and India were the top countries, collectively

second most deployed renewable energy technology in the world by installed capacity,

accounting for approximately 70% of global PV inverter installations in 2018. With 44.4 GW

after wind. Despite the unprecedented demand growth in recent years, solar PV modules

of annual installations and 48.7% of the global market, China was the most prominent

and inverters have fallen in price, benefiting project developers and disadvantaging

country in the global solar PV inverter market in 2018. After China, the United States

manufacturers, who have struggled to sustain margins.

registered annual installation of 10.9 GW, representing 12% of global solar PV inverters

The main components of a solar plant that decision makers may consider manufacturing

installed in 2018. The third-largest market was India, recording annual installation of

domestically are the solar cells, solar modules, inverters, trackers, mounting structures and general electrical components (IRENA, 2017b). To avoid skills gaps, however, education and training must be attuned to the emerging needs of the industry. This is crucial, as training and skill building form an important part of efforts to generate capable local supply chains. Variables such as government policies incentivising local value creation,the

8.68 GW in 2018 and accounting for nearly 9.5% of the global market. In all three countries, solar PV and inverter installations have been driven by government support policies and schemes such as net metering and feed-in-tariffs (GlobalData, 2019).

Source - FUTURE OF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

availability of raw materials and the presence of related industries are important drivers for the local manufacturing of PV components. However, the development of a domestic manufacturing industry for solar PV modules may not be optimal in instances of strong competition, especially when neighbouring countries may be large producers with low prices and overcapacity.

The expansion of solar PV markets, combined with falling prices, has contributed to the emergence of new players in the industry.

SOLAR MODULES

Solar Structures you can count on

The global market for solar module production is highly diversified, although some consolidation among manufacturers is taking place. The majority of the market is held by crystalline silicon (c-Si) module manufacturers, thanks to the maturity of the technology and the lower investment costs due to the fall in the price of polysilicon – its raw material (GlobalData, 2018). The thin-film market, by comparison, has fewer manufacturers and relatively few players have been able to consistently commercialise these products.

Light Weight

High Strength

Corrosion Free

In 2017 the Asia-Pacific region dominated the market for solar modules, accounting for the majority of the solar PV modules installed globally (76%). This is followed by the Americas and Europe with a share of 14% and 9.5%, respectively. In 2012 specifically, Europe, the Middle East and Africa all together had a higher rate of installation compared to the AsiaPacific region due to significant solar module installations in Germany, Italy and Spain.

However, following subsidy cuts the annual installation rate fell sharply in Europe and paved the way for the Asia-Pacific region to become the global leader in solar PV installations.

SOLAR INVERTERS The market for solar inverters is currently in a growth phase, the rising demand for power together and various global initiatives to encourage the implementation of renewable smart grids being the main drivers behind this development.

In 2018 theAsia-Pacific region dominated the market for solar inverters, accounting for 71% of new installations globally. It is expected to continue dominating the market in the next decade thanks to the rising number of installations in China, India and Japan.

The Americas were the next largest regions in the global solar PV inverter market, with a market share of approximately 24% and reported solar installations of approximately 15 gigawatts (GW). The solar PV markets in the United States and in Canada continued to grow, and in South and Central America, the focus was Chile. The EMEA solar inverter market was the third-largest globally by value in 2018, accounting for 13%. Germany, France and Italy were the top markets in Europe, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were the major markets in the Middle East.

w w w w w w .. ss oo ll aa rr qq uu aa rr tt ee rr .. cc oo m m

500+ MW Experience

2000 Tonnes/ month Production Capacity

PAN-India Delivery

ISO: 9001 | ISO: 14001 | OHSAS 18001

MIGHTY AVENGERS SOLAR PVT. LTD. Call: 0141-4600-500 | +91-931-451-1634 | info@mapl.xyz

Address: G1/79, Road No. 14, Badarna EXT, VKI, Jaipur-302013 Solar SolarQuarter Quarter••November November2019 2019 35

Company Feature

TBEA To Inaugurate GW-Class Pv Inverter Factory In Bangalore On 29TH November 2019 TBEA Xi’an Electric Technology Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise affiliated to TBEA Group that specializes in R&D of core equipment and delivery of rich technical solutions in photovoltaic power generation, flexible AC/DC transmission, smart micro-grid field, etc.

The Company mainly produces photovoltaic inverters, high-voltage SVGs, energy routers and flexible DC transmission equipment.

Since its establishment, the Company has always been developing based on technological innovation, and has established a world-leading energy internet and power electronics laboratory, built a professional R&D team with more than 300 people led by overseas experts, including doctors and masters, set up 2 R&D centers in Xi’an and Munich, Germany. The Company has successively undertaken more than 10 major scientific research projects such as the National 863 Program and Science and Technology Support Program, presided over the drafting of many national standards and won more than 300 patents of various kinds. It was awarded a number of honors such as “National Local Joint Engineering Laboratory”, “National Postdoctoral Scientific Research Workstation”, “National Patent and Innovative Pilot Enterprise”, and was one of the few enterprises in the industry that mastered a number of independently developed core technologies.

In the field of smart photovoltaic power generation, after 18 years of unremitting efforts, the Company has led the industry concept and technology direction of photovoltaic power generation, and independently developed a full range of 3kW-5000kW gird-connected inverters, and launched a one-stop smart photovoltaic power station solution which can be applied in various environments. With business in more than 20 countries on four continents, the cumulative global operating performance has exceeded 30 GW. TBEA Xi’an Electric Technology Co. Ltd. have served all-round the solar industry by associating with almost all major key players Big & Small in the market namely ACME, RENEW, AZURE, AVAADA, ADANI, OPG, BHEL, Rays Power Infra, Rays Power Expert, KEC, L&T, ENRICH, KC Solar etc contributing to a total of 3GW+ supply record in India. ACME alone counts approx. 1.3 GW of supply for their several projects in Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Punjab, etc. Azure have been served with 1500V Outdoor solutions which successfully commissioned & running at their 10MW site in Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh), OPG 62MW in Karnataka, L&T 150MW in Karnataka, BHEL 20MW in West Bengal, Rays Power Infra 100MW in Karnataka, KEC 5MW in Himachal Pradesh, Rays Power Expert 50MW in Rajasthan, and still counting. Overall performance of inverters is remarkable leading to reliability over the brand & technology

In the field of smart photovoltaic power generation, after 18 years of unremitting efforts, the Company has led the industry concept

and

photovoltaic

technology power

direction

generation,

of and

independently developed a full range of 3kW-5000kW gird-connected inverters, and launched a one-stop smart photovoltaic power station solution which can be applied in various environments.

of TBEA Xi’an Electric Technology Co. Ltd. Considering the brand presence, reliability and bankability of the company, the products have been successfully applied in more than 1000 PV projects of major domestic photovoltaic power plant projects, and have been exported to Europe, North Africa, Central Asia and some other countries & regions accumulating to total installed capacity of more

Considering the brand presence, reliability and

than 30 GW across the globe and more that 3GW in India itself. TBEA will be opening its

bankability of the company, the products have

GW-class PV Inverter factory in Bangalore on 29th November 2019. The ceremony will be

been successfully applied in more than 1000

celebrated with various Solar Industry leaders, some highly posted government officials, media partners and our valuable clients. The program will be a blend of speeches, panel

PV projects of major domestic photovoltaic

discussions, presentations, entertainments, lunch & beverages and a lot more.

power plant projects, and have been exported

The manufacturing facility has a manufacturing capability of 2GW per annum, and is

to Europe, North Africa, Central Asia and some

located in Bidadi, Bangalore and located around 5KM from Electronic City. The Bangalore

other countries & regions accumulating to total

factory will support customer with high quality PV Inverter Production & Manufacturing, Service & Maintenance and After Sales Transit Storage.

installed capacity of more than 30 GW across

TBEA India factory is rolled out a plan to have 3 assembly lines, leading to manufacturing

the globe and more that 3GW in India itself.

capacity of 2 GW. Initially to start manufacturing with two assembly lines each having

TBEA will be opening its GW-class PV Inverter

1 GW capacity. First assembly line will manufacture Outdoor type central Inverters - All Ratings. Second Assembly Line to manufacture Utility Type Multi MPPT String Inverter

factory in Bangalore on 29th November 2019.

of 208kW. Third line to be made operational on later stages depending on market trend.

The ceremony will be celebrated with various

Also, with the Bangalore factory TBEA intends to provide better & quality services in terms

Solar Industry leaders, some highly posted

of Production, Service and Spares with improved efficiency of service time. This will help TBEA to be more reliable and supportive to its valuable customers and integrate with

government officials, media partners and our

India Solar market with more suitable PV inverter production as per the market trend &

valuable clients.

technology.

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

Solar Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 36

Success Stories

Success Stories of Solar Industry 2019 Risen Energy Co., Ltd. was founded in 1986 and listed as a Chinese public company (Stock Code: 300118) in 2010. Risen Energy is one of the pioneers in solar industry and has committed to this industry as a R&D expert, an integrated manufacturer from wafers to modules, a manufacturer of off-grid systems, and also an investor, a developer and an EPC of PV projects. Aiming to deliver the green energy worldwide, Risen Energy is developing internationally with offices and sales networks in China, Germany, Australia, Mexico, India, Japan, USA and others. After years of efforts, it has reached a module production capacity of 9.1GW. While growing rapidly, Risen Energy keeps a stable pace with an average debt ratio at around 60% from 2011 to 2018.

Risen Energy has lots of PV power stations around the world, including Germany, India, Australia, Mexico and others. All the projects are successful and appreciated by the customers.

For example, the 40MW project in Kazakhstan. It is the first privately-owned enterprise investing in the construction of photovoltaic power stations in Kazakhstan, the implementation of the project is of milestone significance for the solar panel maker’s global roadmap.

The facility, located in Gulshat, Aktogay District, Karaganda Region of Kazakhstan, has selected 325W Poly 1500VDC polycrystalline modules for their ability to ensure the long-term and stable operation of the station to the maximum extent possible. With the successful grid connection, the power station is expected to generate 50 million kilowatthours of electricity per year, providing continuous clean power to local households.

In order to successfully achieve the construction of the power station in Kazakhstan, Risen Energy had to overcome a series of obstacles including the language barrier, cold weather, difficulty in assuring the needed supply of materials, power grid design, among other factors that hobbled the progress of the project. Thanks to the rich project experience accumulated by the overseas project development team over the years, the company prevailed by insisting on orderly construction despite the severe cold, ensuring the smooth completion of each aspect of the project.

The project held its groundbreaking ceremony in June 2018 and connected to the grid in December 2018, fully reflecting the strength and efficiency of Risen Energy’s workforce. As a result of designing and building the 40MW power plant, Risen Energy has a comprehensive understanding of the market and regulatory environment in

as an opportunity to help more Chinese brands effortlessly enter the Kazakhstan market,

Kazakhstan. The replicable construction experience is expected to help overseas teams

share in a piece of the pie, and contribute China’s prowess across the sector to the cause

to better participate in the development of follow-up projects. We also hope to use this

of global green development.

SOFARSOLAR is a top 5 Grid tied string inverters manufacturer for rooftop and utility

To cater to the Indian Market we have established ‘’Sofarsolar India Pvt. Ltd’’ our Marketing

projects. Our inverters have been well accepted in UK, Netherlands, Italy, Australia, South

and Service Center in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

America, Middle East, KSA and India. SOFAR is very pioneer group in GPS sector in China & we would like accept new challenges in the market. So we have started PV market business & doing successfully business globally. In order to support the current growth of the Indian PV market, SOFARSOLAR has recently taken steps to strengthen its business position in the country with a new office and leadership. Looking to expand its footprint in the Indian PV market, SOFARSOLAR, added an office, warehouse, Service staff and expanding team.

As a high – tech international corporation, SOFARSOLAR is equipped with leading technology of grid tied inverters. The R&D team of SOFARSOLAR has strong development capability.

Around 100 experienced engineers are working with more than nine series products. And around 400 employees in factory increased our production capacity to 8GW annually From day one our company has put quality as the most important criteria in our design,

Our range of gird tied inverters include 1KW to 6KW in single and 3KW to 70KW in three phases, Support zero export solution . We also have 3kW power storage inverters and 3-6kW hybrid inverters in Single Phase & 10-20kW hybrid inverters in Three Phase, Li-Ion Batteries.

We are Providing service thru directly company & also supporting thru our local business partner. We have well qualified B.E Elect. Team so we are very confident & conscious on service point of view. We have repairing center in Ahmedabad-Gujarat , so many inverters are repaired in our service center & prompt service response is our motto in our business agenda.

For the first time in India we started 7 years warranty in 2018 and now we are coming with

production and daily operations. Our international R&D team designed the product

8 YEARS WARRANTY in India.

from bottom up. We hand-picked each component and we have drew every bit of the

The Indian solar energy segment is considered to be a market with one of the fastest

circuitry. Therefore we understand exactly how the device shall perform in every situation.

We sourced all our electronic materials from U.S., Germany and Japan, such as Fairchild, Infineon, Texas instruments, Panasonic, Nichicon, Tamura, Microsemi, Amphenol, Sanyo.

We are certainly not the cheapest inverters you can find in China. But if you consider quality is important, you will not regret to work with us.

New versions of Inverters which are very compact in size make SOFARSOLAR differentiate from others.

SOFARSOLAR is positioned to play an important and leading role in the Indian solar industry. Having global experience, innovative solutions, and dedication to developing a

growth potentials in the world due the country’s ever-increasing demand for energy.We are having very effective “TOP POSITINING” market in Gujarat, Punjab-Haryana, Maharashtra and Chennai-Kerala. Now we are more focusing on North India & North-East India region.

Even though we have good installation based in North-East region remote area.

SOFARSOLAR inverters installed more than 28MW in SKY PROJECT-GUJARAT. SOFARSOLAR have another more than 20MW projection for Coming SKY PROJECT (KUSUM YOJANA) Scheme.

SOFARSOLAR is a biggest installer as a Top position in SKY PROJECT Scheme.

local presence, SOFARSOLAR is well poised to support the Indian PV market in its rapid

SOFAR inverters are installed in the farms under SKY PROJECT (Surya Kisan Yojana) initiative

growth. SOFARSOLAR recent move to strengthen its position in the Indian PV market with

of GUJARAT Government at different Feeders covering GUJARAT region.

a local team signifies our commitment to the solar sector in India.

We are continuous growing company and we have variety of products like New Energy Automobile (Supercharger) products & Hybrid Inverter, Storage Inverter & On Grid string inverter developments in our basket.

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

In this Project SOFAR 6.6KW to 70KW Three Phase models installed with compatibility of synchronize with three phase motors, Communicate with data loggers via RS-485 and various grid voltage ranges.

Solar Quarter Quarter •• November November 2019 2019 37 Solar 37

SOFARSOLAR systems have been installed on the buildings of prestigious Business buildings, Industrial’s Slanted roofs, Local houses under guidance of Rooftop Policy and Commercial Projects in India.

We have received repeat orders from local business partner, Big EPC companies, OEM techno giants With a complete portfolio of 3-phase commercial DC optimized inverters.

SOFARSOLAR is continuously winning most selling Inverters in Gujarat under GEDA rooftop policy & other state also good quantum installation database with prompt service support.

SOFARSOLAR is well positioned to become a major player in commercial roof-top &utilityscale PV installations. Successfully installation database in Zero Export facilities & 25 years data history SD card facility.

We believe in local sales-service support with Longvision Reliable Product Business Policy..

The Renewable Energy Strategic Business Unit Ravi Renewable Energy and Lighting (RREL)

hope to install in them the values that will allow

has a Distributive Renewable Energy (DRE) platform called MyWay Solar. When it comes to

them to work harder, innovate and produce more

developing rural India, MyWay extends hands to support rural areas to provide a sublime

and more crops so that they can improve their

life. The Company started its journey with village electrification and solar pumping system

lives in all aspects.

4 years ago, and within these four years, the company has installed more than 16,000 solar

MyWay firmly follow the concept of make in

pumps, 26,420 solar home lighting system, 6MW ground mounted projects, 15,000 solar

India, and have multiple business partners across

streetlights and more than 4MW rooftop projects.

the country for efficient project management,

Based on our rapid business growth this year, we keep our footprints in Maharashtra to

on time project execution and round the clock

install more than 18000 nos. solar pump associate with a partner company. It will create

maintenance support for Solar PV Systems.

history where thousands of farmers will be benefitting from this collaboration. In addition

MyWay is committed to giving their all in the

to creating record, this project will add a feather to our national solar mission.

betterment of the Rurban life so that it would lead

We are on a mission to not only help the farmers develop their expected result, but also

to a growing and a prosperous India.

Solar Quarter Advert.pdf

1

9/30/19

11:30 AM

Part of

Hosted by

ADSW Principal Partner

Explore the future of solar power.

Discover proven technology and the latest breakthrough innovations in solar power at the World Future Energy Summit 2020. Develop your network, share knowledge and do business with global solar technology leaders, project developers and governments.

SOLAR EXPO & FORUM HIGHLIGHTS: • See 274 exhibitors showcase their solar energy technology • Meet 50 industry speakers at the Solar Forum • Source hundreds of solutions for your solar projects

REGISTER FOR FREE

www.worldfutureenergysummit.com

Industry Supporter

M

Knowledge Partner

Co-located with

Organised by

M i d d l e E a s t & N o r t h A f r i c a ‫ﺍﻟﺸــــــــــــــــــــﺮﻕ ﺍﻷﻭﺳــــــــــــــــــــﻂ ﻭﺷﻤـــــــــــــــــــﺎﻝ ﺍﻓﺮﻳﻘﻴـــــــــــــــــــﺎ‬

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

SolarQuarter Quarter••November November2019 2019 38 Solar

700MW+ Solar Projects

10MW+

Rooftop Installations

Complete Solution For Ground Base & Rooftop

w w w . s o l a r q u a r t e r . c o m

FASTEST GROWING TURNKEY SOLUTION PROVIDER

EV Charging Station / Infrastructure Provider

Pan India Presence

Solar Quarter • November 2019 39

Optimal LCOE solution New 1500V Multi MPPT String Inverter Comprehensive income increased by 7%+ Power Upto 230kW Support Anti-PID and Remote monitoring Solution I-V Curve intelligent monitoring PLC & WiFi based communication TB-eCloud

TB-eCloud lean O&M

NEW

TS208KTL-HV

, Add: No.70, Shanglinyuan 4th Road, High-tech Zone, Xi an, China ( 710119 )

Tel: +86-29-68760666

Customer Service Line: 400-606-6029 Website: http://en.tbeapower.com

@ TBEA Xi'an Electric Technology Co., Ltd.