Power Insight Volume 10 - Issue 3

INR. 100/-

RNI No.:MAHENG/2010/39548

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Issue No. 3

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August - September 2019

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Cover Focus

Solar Power Sector -India

Pg.18 - Sector Growth Overview & Outlook Pg. 22 - PV Technology Trends Pg. 24 - PV Waste Crisis

Over these years, the solar sector in India has changed dramatically. While on one hand, the sector has witnessed some noteworthy developments and opportunities, on the other there are some issues and challenges plaguing the sector growth.

Industry Insight

Market Review

Special Feature

PV Mounting Structures

Cables and Conductors Market

Wind Turbines Technology Trends

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Editor’s // Note

Quality is Key for Sustainable Solar -PV Growth in India

S

olar PV market in India is rapidly moving towards its goal of 100 GW. To spur growth the sector was introduced to competitive bidding regime that led to the hefty competition between developers resulting in a substantial drop in solar energy tariffs. Now that solar energy is cheaper than coal power, the quality and reliability of the equipment installed on solar power plants is a key question that is being posed as developers are seen compromising on quality in order to save margins. Cost saving strategies implemented by both manufacturers and developers will lead to equipment’s degradation in the field. While a solar plant is built as a 25-year long-term investment, lower quality equipment may not last that long and will lead to tremendous loss to developers.

The most important are the modules, which account for around 50 per cent of solar power plant’s total cost, which could lead to large losses in revenue as a result of a failure or damage. In addition, the strength and longevity of any PV structure largely depends on the quality of its base – the mounting structures. However, due to their limited ability to lower price of modules and inverters which have already fallen to great extent, developers are attempting to cut costs for other equipment – like mounting structures. Given the tough weather conditions faced by these mounting structures while supporting the ground or rooftop solar-powered project, great quality for a panel mounting system is required.

The nature of the primary materials used in solar project is an important aspect that adds to the durability and performance. Therefore, it is important to select the best material and proper design layout for the optimum performance of a solar power project especially in the Indian market.

Although before their market entry there are test facilities and approval criteria for modules, inverters and cables, unfortunately no regulator for mounting systems is in place in India. In summary, developers need to focus more on plant life and performance by using quality components in order to maximize their returns, and not find ways to minimize costs.

Pankaj V Chauhan Editor - Power Insight

Email : pankaj@vision-media.co.in

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Volume No. - 10 ; Issue No. -03 : August - September 2019

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Cover Focus Solar Power Sector - India

18 Solar Power Sector India 2019

Editor:

Though, utility scale solar installations currently account for 87 per cent of the total solar capacity; rooftop sector has a small contribution but is all set to pick up over the coming years.

Pankaj V Chauhan

Marketing & Sales: Navin SIngh

marketing@vision-media.co.in

22 PV Technology Trends

K. Pushpageetha

geetha@vision-media.co.in

With falling tariffs and increasing competition emerging PV technologies need to concentrate on increasing efficiency at lower prices for India to maintain the solar pv growth momentum.

Creative Head: Prashant S. Kharat

Graphic Designer: G. Sanjay

24 Handling Solar Waste Crisis

Production Head: Shantanu Singh

Industry experts have started expressing concern about solar waste management and recycling systems in the country that are yet to be explained.

Printed, Published & Owned by PANKAJ V CHAUHAN

Printed at

MAGNA GRAPHICS (INDIA) LTD., 101, C & D GOVT. IND. ESTATE, KANDIVLI (WEST), MUMBAI 400 067

16 Special Article

Published from

G-3A, JUNGLEE PEER DURGAH, K.A.GAFFARKHAN ROAD, WORLI, MUMBAI 400 018.

Editor: PANKAJ V CHAUHAN RNI. NO. : MAHENG/2010/39548 All right reserved while all efforts are made to ensure that the information published is correct, Power Insight holds no responsibility for any unlikely errors that might have occurred. The information on products & projects is being provided for the reference of the readers. However, readers are cautioned to make inquires & consult experts before taking any decision on purchase of equipment or investment. Power Insight holds no responsibility for any decision taken by readers on the basis of information provided herein. All disputes are subjected to Mumbai Jurisdiction only.

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Combating Issues of Stressed Thermal Power Sector To provide some relief to the thermal power sector of the country, the ministry is looking into innovative ways to combat the situation as well as solving other issues too related to the power purchase agreements (PPAs) hitting discoms viability.

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Regulars

03 06 08 12 44 48 50

Editor’s Note Conventional Updates Renewables Updates T&D Sector Updates Products Launch Company Release Events Diary

wHAT’S // INSIDE

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Industry Insight

Mounting Structures

Industry and Market Trends - India

Solar across all application is projected to see higher growth in India over coming years; this will fuel the demand for advanced mounting structures in the years to come.

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Mounting Structure – Quality Concerns

Because of this hyper-competitive solar auctioning, developers are taking certain costreduction steps. As a result, it has been witnessed that the mounting structures quality is suffering consequential to cut down on costs.

Code Regulatory Authority Needed for Solar PV Mounting Systems in India

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Column By: Harshal Akhouri , Director Strolar Mounting Systems

Market Review

Cables & Conductors

Indian Market Review 2019

With government pushing for strengthening of India’s T&D network, the market for cables & conductors is expected to witness a decent growth over the coming years since these are lifeline to the T&D network.

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Cables & Conductors – Technology Trends

Insight into technological progress trends in cables and conductors industry in India needed to keep pace with changing environment.

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Special Feature

Wind Turbines – Technology on Track New innovations and improvements in wind power technology is need of the hour as they will lead to higher wind energy penetration and optimum generation from available resources.

Next Issue Editorial Attraction Sector Focus: Indsutry Insight Market Review Special Feature

Wind Power Sector Transformers Solar PV - Operation & Maintenance Wind Solar Hybrid / Ultra Super Critical Technology

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sECTOR // UPDATES

Conventional News

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Thermal Power

Thermal Power

L&T JV bags orders for the super thermal power project of THDC India in UP

Sembcorp India awaits for clarification on cost recovery for TPP upgrading Sembcorp Energy India Limited is awaiting clarity from the Centre for recovering costs to be incurred while upgrading coalbased power projects to lower emissions.

It has called for bids to upgrade its thermal power project in Krishnapatnam, situated in Andhra Pradesh’s SPSR Nellore Districtfor complying with the new flue-gas desulfurisation (FGD) norms for thermal power projects.

After last year’s weak order inflow for the power segment, L&T has announced a large power contract win from THDC. This is L&T’s second power plant contract in this financial year, and the conglomerate is hopeful more power tenders will be finalised this year.

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) said in a press statement. THDC is a joint venture of Centre and Uttar Pradesh government.

L&T-MHPS Boilers has bagged a large order from THDC India for the construction of 1,320 megawatt (Mw) power plant in Uttar Pradesh,

The company did not disclose the value of the project, but said it was in the range of Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 5,000 crore.

L&T-MHPS Boilers is a joint venture of L&T and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) of Japan.

Thermal Power

India emits the world’s largest sulfur dioxide

Vipul Tuli, Managing Director at Sembcorp Energy India stated that the Centre has recently clarified that capital expenditure for setting up FGD units and other equipment to lower emissions will be passed through to consumers, allowing generators to recover the costs incurred. But this clarification has come only for power purchases made under long term contracts. We are in the process of finalising the tenders for our FGD units. The Centre too is expected to soon clarify on cost recovery for the same from spot and medium term power market sales.

India is the largest emitter of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the world, contributing more than 15 per cent of global anthropogenic emissions, according to a new report by Greenpeace released on August 19, 2019.

The study found the thermal power plants or clusters at Singrauli, Neyveli, Talcher, Jharsuguda, Korba, Kutch, Chennai, Ramagundam, Chandrapur, and Koradi to be the major emission hotspots in the country.

The vast majority of plants in India lack flue-gas desulfurisation (FGD) technology to reduce air pollution, according to the report.

Conventional Power

Gujarat government will not be approving new thermal plants In a first-of-its-kind move aimed at curbing the burning of fossil fuel for power generation, Gujarat government has announced that it will not give fresh permissions for setting up new thermal power stations in the state.

A decision to not provide permission for new thermal power projects has been taken by Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, stated an official release.

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The 8-10 per cent of annual increase in power demand will be met through non-conventional sources, the statement said adding that the move will “guide” other states in the country.

The private sector in Gujarat consisting of Torrent Power, Adani Power, Essar and Tata Group contributes a lion share of power produced through largely through coal.

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Coal

100% FDI will create a Competitive Coal Market: Coal Minister The decision of 100% FDI under automatic route for coal mining activities including associated processing, infrastructure in the coal sector is the biggest reform

by Modi Government which will help provide power to all 24x7.

In a statement, Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines said, “100% FDI is the biggest reform of our times and the influx of international players will create an efficient and competitive coal market in India.

It is expected to bring state of the art coal mining technology to the country which will help in environmentally sustainable mining. This decision will also create direct and indirect employment in coal bearing areas and will have a positive impact in the economic development of these regions.”

He said the reform is likely to help the coal bearing states get more revenue and bring in more players to create an efficient and competitive coal market.

SECTOR // UPDATES Hydro Power

Hydro Power

Arunachal starts scraping dam projects after years of hydropush The Chief Minister, inaugurating the State’s first community-managed mini hydroelectric project at Dikshi in West Kameng district on September 13, said his government terminated 22 projects worth 3,800 MW while another 46 projects worth 8,000 MW had been served notices.

“These projects have not progressed and people have lost confidence in them. The government is reviewing the hydro-power projects periodically and action will be taken against the power developers found

PM Modi inaugurates Mangdechhu hydropower plant in Bhutan non-performing,” Mr. Khandu said.

Thermal Power

Thermal Power

Adani thermal capacity reached 12,410 MW with takeover of two more Thermal Power Plants

Larsen & Toubro secures EPC contract from NTPC in India

A recent order passed by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Ahmedabad bench, has approved Adani Power Limited’s (APL) takeover of insolvent entity Korba West Power Company Limited (KWPCL) having installed capacity of 600 MegaWatt (MW) in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh. Adani Power will endeavour to expand the capacity of KWPCL expeditiously, leveraging its project execution capabilities.

APL has been aggressive when it comes to acquisition and expansion of power plants. Before KWPCL, it had acquired GMR Chhattisgarh Energy Ltd. (GCEL), which owns and operates a 1370 MW (two 685 MW) power plant in Raipur District of Chhattisgarh.

With the successful acquisition of these two entities, APL claims to have increased its combined thermal power capacity by 19% to 12,410 megawatts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Mangdechhu hydroelectric power plant, one of the major projects under Bhutan’s initiative to generate 10,000 MW hydropower by 2020 with the Indian government’s support.

Arunachal Pradesh was among 16 States identified during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government for an ambitious plan in 2003 to make India produce 50,000 MW or hydroelectricity by 2017. This northeastern State, accounting for the bulk of the proposed installed capacity was the first off the blocks for the hydro-power “gold rush”.

Larsen & Toubro has secured an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract from NTPC via its power business.

NTPC will set up a flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) system at Stage-I and Stage-II of the Vindhyachal super thermal power station located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

This contract continues on from a previous contract received by L&T in September 2018 for stage III & IV. Upon completion, the power plant will feature 12 FGD systems implemented by L&T, and also the only NTPC’s plant in India to feature so many systems at one power facility.

The Rs 4,500-crore hydroelectric plant, touted as a Bhutan-India friendship project, is a 720MW run-of-river power plant built on the Mangdechhu River in Trongsa Dzongkhag district of central Bhutan.

It was developed by the Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project Authority (MHPA), which was jointly constituted by the Indian and the Bhutanese governments. With the cooperation of both countries, hydro-power generation capacity in Bhutan has crossed 2000 MW.

Hydro Power

NHPC lines up INR 70,000 crore investment for setting setting up projects in the J&K, Northeast and Himachal Pradesh To harness the hydel power potential of Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeastern region, state-run NHPC Ltd plans to set up over 10,000 MW capacity projects in these areas entailing investments of nearly INR 70,000 crore over the next 8-9 years. While the majority of the investments would go on setting up projects in the Northeast and Himachal Pradesh, officials said it has planned investments worth INR 23,000 crore for J&K. The company is in the process of building the largest hydroelectric

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projects with a capacity of 2,800 MW in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh amounting to INR 1,600 crore, a 500 MW Teesta-VI project entailing a cost of INR 5,748 crore, among others.

Besides, NHPC also expects its projects totalling 3,814 MW in Jammu & Kashmir — Ratle project (850 MW), Pakal Dul (1000 MW), Kiru project, (624 MW), Bursar project (800 MW) and Kwar project (540 MW) — will now be executed faster post the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution that grants special status to the state.

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sECTOR // UPDATES

Renewable News

Renewable Energy

PM Modi asserted to double the push for renewable energy in India Addressing the United Nations Climate Action Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that we are not doing enough to address the global threat of climate change.

Renewable Power

Uttar Pradesh Proposes 6% Banking Charges for Solar and Wind issued draft regulations for captive and renewable energy generating projects in the state. These regulations will be effective beginning April 1, 2019, up to March 31, 2024.

The main objective of these regulations is to promote the generation of electricity from renewable sources, facilitate connectivity of renewable power projects with the grid, and ensure the sale of electricity to any person.The proposed regulations will apply to all the generating stations based on cap-

tive generation, renewable sources of generation, and co-generation, which existed in the state before April 1, 2019.

The proposed regulations are also applicable to small hydro projects, biomass power, non-fossil fuelbased power, cogeneration projects, solar photovoltaic projects, and wind-based power projects.

However, these regulations will take effect only if the projects fulfill the eligibility criteria as specified in the regulations.

Renewable Power

Ocean energy is declared Green: Government

He called for a mass movement for behavioural change to address the issue along with a comprehensive approach involving education, values, lifestyle and developmental philosophy. He reminded the gathering that India’s policy on climate change action is guided by the principle of ‘need, not greed’.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has declared Ocean Energy as renewable energy. As of date, there is not any installed Ocean Energy capacity in India. Some applications were received by MNRE for projects in this field. They wanted clarity on the status of Ocean Energy as Renewable Energy.

Modi said that India is committed to promoting the non-fossil fuel technologies and would go beyond achieving renewable energy target of 175 GW by 2022. While he also promised that in future, the government would increase the capacity of renewables to 450 GW.

Therefore, hrough an official statement the MNRE has clarified to all the stakeholders that energy produced using various forms of ocean energy such as tidal, wave, ocean thermal energy conversion among others shall be considered as renewable energy and shall be eligible for meeting the non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO).

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Andhra Pradesh (AP) is one of the top renewable energy states in India in terms of installed capacity as well as potential. In early 2019, AP introduced new solar, wind and wind-solar hybrid power policies aligned with its near-term target of installing 18 Gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy by FY2021-22.

Renewable Energy Investment 2019’, which was commissioned by the UN Environment’s Economy Division, Frankfurt School-UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance and BloombergNEF. The years between 2010 and 2019 saw $2.6 trillion invested in renewable energy worldwide, excluding large hydro. This is almost triple the amount compared to the previous decade. Solar took up half the investments with $1.3 trillion, while wind energy took up another $1 trillion.

He called for a slew of measures including recovery notices for solar and wind projects contracted at high tariffs, a revision of high tariffs to match the level of recent low tariffs, and cancellation of a few big projects.

India is the 6th-largest investor in Renewable Energy: Study

While China invested $758 billion, the US came in a distant second with $356 billion in the decade between 2010 and the first half of 2019. These findings were published in a report titled ‘Global Trends In

USD 40 billion of renewable energy investments at risk in Andhra Pradesh

However, the recent chaos in AP’s renewable energy sector may jeopardise both the state’s ambitious targets and $40 billion of potential incoming investments over the coming decade. The newly-elected Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy (May 2019) in reviewing the state’s position has called for retrospective renegotiation and even cancellation of renewable energy projects contracted during the previous government.

Renewable Power

With investments of $90 billion in renewable energy over the last decade, India is placed sixth in the list of countries that have made the most investments in clean energy, says a new study. China, the United States, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom are the top five countries.

Renewable Power

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sECTOR // UPDATES Wind Power

Solar Power

IL&FS files for final approval of 874-MW wind sale in India

Solar business slowdowns, but the outlook is still sunny

Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) has turned to The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for final clearance to sell its 51% stake in an 874-MW wind portfolio in India to project partner Orix Corp.

The particular transaction last month received the approval of Justice (Retd) D K Jain, who was appointed by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) to supervise the operation of the Resolution Process of IL&FS group companies.

efore filing for NCLT clearance, IL&FS entered into a binding share purchase agreement with the buyer and secured in-principle approval from all lenders.

The agreed transaction calls for the transfer of the following companies: Lalpur Wind Energy Private Limited, Etesian Urja Limited, Khandke Wind Energy Private Limited, Retadi Wind Power Limited, Wind Urja India Private Limited, Tadas Wind Energy Private Limited and Kaze Energy Limited.

Solar Power

Renewable Power

Renewables captured 80 per cent of all energy financing in India in 2018

India to hike import duty on solar equipment in coming years: Power Minister In a bid to encourage domestic manufacturing, India will increase import duty on solar equipment down the value chain in the coming years, stated Power Minister R K Singh

Lending to coal-fired power plants in India slumped 90 per cent to Rs 6,081 crore in 2018 as against 2017 while the funding for renewable energy projects grew by Rs 1,529 crore to Rs 24,442 crore.

Also, most coal-fired project loans came from majority state-owned financial institutions while majority private banks contributed three-quarters of all the finance towards renewable energy projects.

These are the findings of the latest report published by “Coal versus Renewables Finance Analysis” by the Centre for Financial Accountability, a Delhi-based think tank.

The analysis examines 52 project finance deals comprising a loan component across 54 coal fired power and renewable energy projects with a financial closure date between January and December 2018.

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“Right now safeguard duty is imposed on solar equipment which will be diluted in few years. We will increase tariff on solar equipment down the value chain in coming years,” the minister said at a curtain raiser press conference on 3rd Global RE-Invest.

Allaying fears that any hike in import duty may increase solar energy tariff bidding rate, he assured that it will not impact solar energy bidding process in India.

Capacity addition in India’s utility scale solar power projects has been slowing down for the last year, according to the latest quarterly report by Bridge to India.

The total installed solar capacity in India grew to 34.2 GW by the end of June 2019, and capacity in the pipeline has reached 19.7 GW, the cleantech consultancy said.

The second quarter of 201920 “remained slow, with only 1,104 MW of capacity addition against our estimate of 1,536 MW, ” Bridge to India said in its India Solar Compass Q2 2019 report published this week. But the pipeline of projects remains robust, as does the employment potential due to tender issuance staying robust, with a total utility scale capacity of 10,296 MW issued in the three months ended June 30, it said.

Renewable Power

India needs $500-700 billion in renewable energy: IEEFA India will require $500-700 billion in renewable energy and supporting grid investment over the coming decade in order to meet its renewable energy targets, the US-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said In a note titled ‘International Capital Awaits Robust Policy Environment in India’s Renewables Infrastructure Sector’, it reviewed India’s energy market and found some recent policy changes favourable for renewable energy investors. But it also noted with caution

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some sovereign risk issues that need to be resolved quickly.

India is set to reach 144 gigawatts of renewable energy by the end of financial year 2021-22.

Author Tim Buckley, Director of Energy Finance Studies with IEEFA, said the world is looking to invest in India’s renewable energy sector. “The country has a clear ambition to transition to a cheaper lower emission electricity system, and that ambition is attracting healthy global investment,” he added.

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sECTOR // UPDATES Power Transmission

Power Transmission

T&D News

GE T&D bags Rs 90 crore grid upgradation order in Bengal

Sterlite Power in talks to sell stake valued at INR 3,000 crore Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd (SPTL), which develops power transmission infrastructure in India and abroad, is scouting for an equity investor to raise up to INR 3,000 crore to invest in new projects, reported a national financial daily.

GE T&D India Limited has bagged a Rs 90 crore grid upgradation order from West Bengal’s stateowned transmission company.

“While no names have been finalized, the company has approached several bulge bracket investors which includes long-term yield

GE won the order through a competitive bidding process and it includes construction of three new 132/33 kilovolt (kV) substations using GE’s advanced Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) technology in Ramnagar, Manbazaar and Birlapur. It also includes an extension of three existing substations at Hurand, Sirakole and Indus by adding two bays each.

focussed funds.

The company is part of Sterlite Group, which has interests in power transmission assets, equipment and engineering procurement construction. In India, it has manufacturing facilities in Silvassa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

In May, Sterlite roped in global private equity firm KKR as a cosponsor in IndiGrid, raising around INR 2,560 crore, which included an infusion of INR 1,084 crore from KKR. Sterlite group began looking for investors for STPL about the same time.

Power Transmission

Coal India offers Rs 50.32 crore for power line restoration in Odisha Coal India which has a large presence in Odisha through one of its subsidiaries, Mahanadi Coalfields, has provided Rs 50.32 crore to Odisha State Disaster Management Authority, for restoration of power lines in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri.

With over 11 gigawatts (GW) of generation capacity, West Bengal is working towards improving the availability, reliability and quality of power supply, whilst minimizing transmission and distribution losses. The projects aim at contributing to the state government’s ambition to provide 24X7 supply to all electricity consumers and provide electricity access to all unconnected households of the state.

A proposal amounting to Rs 50.32 crore was sent by Odisha Power Transmission Company Ltd. The fund will be used to restore three 220 KV and two 132 KV damaged power transmission lines and for restructuring of transmission lines damaged by Cyclone Fani at these three locations.

Power Transmission

PGCIL won two contracts for Transmission network to evacuate renewables The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) has won two contracts to set up transmission infrastructure to evacuate power generated from renewable projects.

PGCIL emerged as the successful bidder under tariff-based competitive bidding to establish the transmission system and the letters of intent have also been issued.

PGCIL will set up the transmission system for providing connectivity to renewable energy projects at Bhuj-11 (2,000 MW) in Gujarat on a build, own operate and

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maintain (BOOM) basis. The transmission system comprises a 765/400 kV gas-insulated substation and 765 kV of transmission lines in the state.

The company will also develop transmission systems associated with LTA application from Rajasthan Solar Energy Zone (SEZ) Part – C, on BOOM basis. The transmission system comprises a 765/400 kV substation and 765 kV and 400 kV transmission lines that traverse Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.

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Power Distribution

Dramatic reforms are needed in the power distribution sector:

Power secretary Subhash Chandra Garg recently said there is a need to bring in drastic reforms in the power distribution sector after the failure of the first version of Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojna (UDAY) and unable to fully address industry woes.

Addressing an event here organised by IEEMA, Garg said the government is working on the revised version of the scheme, where it will also cater to separating carriage and content in the distribution sector.

“Electricity distribution is an area of concern. There have been various initiatives taken by the government, including the UDAY scheme to revive the distribution sector, but it has not proved to be effective. It is necessary that we take drastic reforms in the sector,” Garg said.

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sECTOR // UPDATES Power Distribution

State discoms owe nearly Rs 10,000 crore to power producers State-run power distribution companies (discoms) owe INR 9,954.3 crore to renewable energy producers, with the highest dues pending in southern states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, according to Central Electricity Authority of India (CEA) data until August 20.

“To address the issue of payment delays, we are strictly implementing the relevant provisions of law wherein Discoms have to mandatorily provide a letter of credit to purchase power. This leaves us with legacy issues only. For that, we are willing to provide loans through PFC, REC and IREDA to state governments provided they give us a state guarantee,” Singh added.

Union minister of power and new & renewable energy RK Singh stated that the Centre will be writing to the states, whose pending dues to producers of wind and

PFC is short for Power Finance Corporation, REC for Rrural Electrification Corporation and IREDA for Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency.

Power Distribution

Discoms will have to supply power through franchisees: RK Singh In an interview to The Economic Times, RK Singh power minister said that the state power distribution companies will have to hand over electricity supply businesses to multiple licensees or franchisees to get central government assistance or loans from the Power Finance Corporation.

This will give consumers the option of choosing from multiple electricity service providers like mobile number portability even before the Electricity Act is amended and quality of supply improved, he told ET. The minister said that the Centre withstood pressure from states to get all discoms to open bank guarantees against power purchases.

The first step, which was necessary, was conveying that power is not a free commodity. So we mandate maintaining of letters of credit (LC) against power purchases. We are proposing that if states are announcing subsidies, they have to give direct benefit transfer into the accounts of consumers, he said.

For theft, we propose giving part assistance to notorious states for setting up aerial bunch cables or underground cabling and setting up specialised police stations on power pilferage. For tackling inefficiencies in metering, billing and collection, we want deployment of smart prepaid meters in the next three years, he added.

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solar energy are very high, to expedite the payments.

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Power Transmission

HP to use modern technology for round the clock power supply Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said that to provide round the clock power supply to people of state, it was important to ensure use of latest technologies and modernise the grid to make it more reliable and efficient.

Power Distribution

NIPEF opposes privatisation of power distribution The Northern India Power Engineers Federation (NIPEF) has opposed the union government’s initiatives to ‘privatise’ the power distribution across the country. The federal council of the federation in its meeting held in August, criticised the mandatory letter of credit (LC) policy mechanism for DISCOMS issued by the union ministry of power to facilitate the payment of private power producers without similar benefit to state generating companies.

In case of power supply stoppage by a private generator, DISCOMS will have to pay fixed charges and they would not be able to purchase power in the open market and the consumers will be the worst sufferers.

He said that GE T&D India Limited along with HPPTCL and HPSEBL were executing projects worth Rs 515 crore to modernise the state’s grid infrastructures.

Some of the key projects include gas insulated substation at Wangtoo, Gumma, Urni, Dehan,Barsaine and Hatkoti, he added.

He said that once the projects were completed these projects would serve the state’s growingdemand and feed into the national grid through interstate power transmission projects .

Power Distribution

Adopt smart and prepaid meters to prevent power theft: Power Minister State power distribution utilities (DISCOMs) should adopt smart and prepaid meters to prevent power theft said Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New and Renewable Energy, RK Singh.

Addressing Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries of Power of NorthEastern (NE) States in Guwahati, Singh said, “Concerted efforts will have to be made to make the system sustainable.

In order to redeem our pledge for 24/7 power, we will have to reduce the

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losses and make the DISCOMS viable.”

An official statement said that Singh cited examples of some States which had huge commercial losses but have been able to bring down the losses to 15 per cent or below.

He urged NE States to adopt smart and prepaid meters to prevent power theft. The Minister also stated that grant for Central Government schemes will be made available to only those states who undertakes reforms, such as reduction of losses among others.

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Special // ARTICLE

Combating the Issues of Stressed Thermal Power Sector

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he coal-based thermal power capacity addition in India is likely to remain subdued at 5GW-6GW annually in FY20 and FY 21. The thermal capacity addition dropped to a 3.6 GW level in FY19.

This likely collapse in the thermal capacity addition is due to the stress of almost 85% of the private under-construction capacity, the problems regarding the availability of funds, coal, purchasing of power, and evacuation, as well as the decommissioning of nearly 2GW annually as the facilities complete their useful life, according to India Ratings and Research by the Fitch Group.

Over FY13-FY17, thermal capacity had registered a significant increase to average 42 per cent on account of lower than anticipated energy demand increase. Excess capacity reached a peak of 45% in FY16 and then dropped to approximately 42% in FY19.

The demand for power is likely to grow healthily in FY20-FY 24 and the current and coming renewable capacity can only satisfy a part of the increasing demand. As per India-Ratings opinion, given the absence

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of major alternatives to meet demandgrowth, the share of excess thermal power capacity will continue to decrease in the FY20-FY24. While, the slowdown in addition to the new thermal power by the state and central thermal sectors will also help absorb the excess thermal capacity during this time period.

For thermal ventures, the new project begins declining steeply, with an average of falling to just 1.6 GW in FY19 compared with an average of 10 GW annually during period of FY15-FY18. In addition, a zero contribution from the private sector in FY19, to fresh thermal ventures showed a lack of interest by the private players in the thermal market. Around 14.4 GW of thermal capacity was either stressed or uncertain or the work was on hold as of FY18, of the total under-construction thermal capacity of 24.7 GW in the private sector.

This estimate rose to 20 GW in FY 19 (85 per cent of private under construction capacity), because the debt servicing problems faced by firms that have brought banks and equity markets to a halt the supply of incremental loans.

Though, in FY19, the volume of under-

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Special // ARTICLE

Study titled ‘Stressed assets in the Indian thermal power sector’ states that, “As estimated recently, about 66,000 MW of capacity was subject to different financial constraints, including 54,800 MW of coal-based power, 6,830 MW gas-based power and 4,400 MW of hydroelectricity, with lenders Either stressed or uncertain or the exposed to work on hold projects estimate rose to 20 GW in around INR 3 lakh crore FY 19 (85 per cent of private under construction caof this kind pacity), because the debt servicing problems faced by of assest, which, to say firms that have brought banks and equity markets to the least, is a halt the supply of incremental loans. . troubling.” construction projects decreased to 65 GW, compared with 95 GW in FY13.

The decline was mainly due to the private sector, which saw the underconstruction project decrease of 24 GW in the FY19 from 63 GW in the year 2013.

However, a large part of under construction potential is strained and impossible for completion in the private sector.

In light of this, a recent research conducted by Assocham and Grant Thornton has shown that the electricity industry in the country has recently been one of the most stressed, with loans worth about 1 lakh crore turned bad or been recast.

signed they were obliged to pay the fixed cost. Looking at the Discoms that had been highly stressed due to thus, the Center has suggested changes to the rules of the PPA. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is also looking into the possibility of providing solar and thermal energy combinations that can add more solar energy to the grid and reduce energy prices over the long term. The change is designed to increase viability of the thermal resources under pressure while also increase the country’s solar generation.

To provide some relief to the thermal power sector of the country, the ministry is looking into innovative ways to combat the situation as well as solving other issues too related to the power purchase agreements (PPAs) hitting discoms viability.

In regard to this, there are meetings under the MNRE for the discussion on product to evolve. It is expected to take around 2-3 months as the Central Electricity Authority, the regulating authorities, consumers and users are also need to be involved.

PPA, usually long-term, includes a fixed and variable charge element.

Now as per current scenario, even though the States do not acquire power under a PPA, once it was

Once developed, the move would help release distribution companies from financial pressures and will likely make the system more competitive market acceptable. n

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sECTOR // FOCUS Cover Focus

Solar Power Sector

Solar Power Sector India 2019 Overview & Outlook

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he power industry in India has changed dramatically over these years. The main change is that the majority of the new capacity in the electricity sector are planned or have been developed through solar technology. Solar parks have emerged as a thriving model, while on the other solar-wind hybrid, along with floating and canal-top PV projects have also started being established on a commercial scale. Meanwhile, the rooftop solar segment has started gaining grounds, particularly within the industrial and commercial space.

Also, there has been significant development in the political and regulatory scenery. Competitive tenders have grown into a standard practice. All states have solar power policies and regulations for net metering in order.

However, there are still a host of policy

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and regulatory uncertainties and institutional hurdles that are affecting the industry.

Segment Overview: Solar power in India is a fast developing industry. Today, the country has the fifth largest solar power installed capacity in the world reaching to 30,709 GW as of 31 July 2019, according to data provided by MNRE website.

Of this total solar PV installed capacity in the country, the largest segment was ground mounted at 27,930 MW of installed capacity as of July 2019. This sector comprises mostly large scale utility solar projects that generate power centrally and disperse it over the grid.

The next largest segment was rooftop solar at 2,141 MW which can be divided into residential solar, commercial and industrial solar roofs as well as a range

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of installations including agricultural buildings, community and cultural centres. The smallest segment was off-grid solar at 919 MW which could help play a role in reaching villages and dwellings without access to the national grid.

Rooftop solar as a proportion of total solar installations is much less than is typical in other leading solar countries but was forecast to grow to 40 GW by 2022 under national targets.

India added 3.2 GW of solar capacity in the first half of 2019 with large-scale projects making up 83% and rooftop installations accounting for 17%.

Installations were down by 35%, compared to the 5.1 GW of capacity added in 1H of 2018. This reflects a significant dip in the installations as compared to last year.

According to Mercom, solar energy installation dropped 49 per cent to 1,737

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SECTOR // FOCUS Mw in the January to March quarter (Q1) of 2019 calendar year, from 3,377 Mw in the same period a year ago. A dip in Investment was also witnessed in the sector during the first quarter of this calendar year at $2.8 billion or 12 per cent lower than in Q1 of 2018. The sluggish growth during the first quarter of the current calendar year could be attributed to the general election, lack of auctions and of finance availability. Mercom expects installation of around 9 GW of solar energy capacity in 2019. The development pipeline totals 19.4 Gw, with 31.7 Gw of tendered and pending auctions at the end of March 2019.

Though, the country’s solar power sector has taken off in a way that most people would not have predicted.

However, over these years, the solar sector has changed dramatically.

While on one hand the sector has witnessed some noteworthy developments and opportunities, on the other there are some plaguing issues and challenges.

A short time ago, solar power was considered a marginal power source.

But it is now one of the major drivers behind the transition to greener, more sustainable sustainable energy.

Around the globe, prices are falling and India is now producing the world’s cheapest solar power, according to an International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) survey. The costs of building large-scale solar installations in India fell by 27% in 2018.

Average solar prices from large-scale installations in India were less than a third of Canada’s, where costs were highest of the countries surveyed.

More than half of the total costs of building a solar installation in India relate to hardware, like racking and mounting, while the remainder involves soft costs such as system design and financing.

Lower service and labour outlay have contributed to a dramatic fall in the investment needed to set up largescale solar power-generating projects.

Between 2010 and 2018, setup costs in India fell by 80%, the most precipitous decline of any country.

Yearwise Cumulative Solar Capacity at the end of FYs

Year 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Source:

Cumulative Installed Capacity in ( MW) as on 31st March 3744 MW (as on 31st March 2015) 6763 MW (as on 31st March 2016) 12,289 MW (as on 31st March 2017) 21,651 MW (as on 31st March 2018) 28,181 MW (as on 31st March 2019) MNRE Website

Annual Solar Power Generation (TWh) Year

Solar Power Generation in ( TWh)

FY 2014 -15 FY 2015 -16 FY 2016 -17 FY 2017 -18 FY 2018 -19

4.60 TWh 7.45 TWh 12.09 TWh 25.87 TWh 39.27 TWh

Source:

CEA data

Market Opportunities: India is still a relatively modest energy user as a developing country but demand is set to rise rapidly with an increasing population, rising living standards and increasing urbanization. Electricity for every home was once seen as a fantasy in India, but it is now a dream that is transforming the socio-economic structure of the country thanks to the government initiative “Energy for All.” In India, coal has been the king for a long time when we speak of energy production. Nevertheless, there are signs that the supremacy of coal may one day be called into question.

India’s renewable energy investment now outstrips by far than fossil fuels.

For the third consecutive year, overall expenditure in renewable energy overtook fossil-fuel energy.

Solar PV power has seen an upward trend in recent years with declining

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costs of putting solar power online, as well as favourable government policies. And last year for the first time coal was dominated by the solar PV spending, backed by government auctions. The sector also has huge potential for creating new jobs; about 4,000 direct and indirect jobs are created with 1 GW solar production facilities. Additional recurring jobs in the industry are generated by solar installation, operation and maintenance services.

It is to be noted that renewable energy cannot replace fossil fuel completely due to obvious reasons, such as the absence of 24 hour sun power and highly unpredictable solar generation or technological innovations, which are not yet in the process of developing an effective solution for energy storage. While technological advances in storage are on-going, this could revolutionize the sector globally. Until then reliance on fossils can be minimized by growing renew-

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sECTOR // FOCUS been disappointed and their IPOs postponed.

Last but not the least, one aspect that is easy to see is that the installation of large projects in India has increased significantly but rooftop solar segment deployment has not increased considerably. This indicates the lack of suitable policy initiatives being responsible for relatively slow growth in the rooftop market. The quick adoption of clean energy would also be helped by flexible financing options for individuals to install solar rooftops.

Way Forward: able energy share slowly.

The technology is changing very rapidly, the manner in which the world handles energy today will be revolutionized by high-efficiency solar systems along with efficient and economical mass storage solutions.

China already has established energy storage opportunities and is moving ahead with the development of large production clusters to provide solutions for storage.

Only if reliable and cost-effective storage solutions are developed could solar power replace fossilbased generation. So long so mass storage is affordable, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure will also be taken up.

Key Challenges: There are a number of policy and regulatory uncertainties and institutional challenges facing the Indian solar pv industry. Some of them include land availability issues, transmission constraints, finance and macroeconomic problems, that have slowed growth rates of late.

On the other hand, the solar sector is facing challenges regarding PPA’s bankability as it primarily depends on the financial strength of the discoms. Though the financial health

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of the discoms has improved slightly after UDAY, however, these utilities still remain the weakest link in the power chain as the growth has been marginal and largely inconsistent.

A stable power transmission network has now become crucial with solar energy gaining ground and emerging as a main energy source to address high-load issues. As the gestation period of a solar power plant is very short, thus evacuation infrastructure for solar power needs to be developed within a crippled time and at the lowest possible cost.

The macroeconomic situation in the country is not at all healthy.

Increasing interest rates and major depreciation of the Indian currency added to the woes of developers and financiers. Meanwhile, with a general high-risk sentiment, the funding scenario can be called weak. The only thing that is worth mentioning is the fact that oil prices have risen, which means that renewables electric vehicle segment has become a better option.

The market seemed to have a faced a bad start with a series of consolidations and IPOs announcements early last year. The vast majority of these came down due to an expectation disparity between the sellers and the buyers. Various large IPPs too have

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In the midst of the challenges and uncertainties listed above, new opportunities have also been created. Over the past five years, solar deployment has increased significantly in Indian markets. And most of the growth within solar power remains to come, since by 2022 the country needs to reach 100 GW of solar power.

However, as the renewables share of the country’s power mix is increasing, there is an urgent need to upgrade an effective grid integration system along with a reliable transmission infrastructure.

Nevertheless, a handful of countries dominate the market when it comes to manufacturing of solar equipment.

India cannot rely solely on large-scale solar deployment by importation of solar equipment to become a world leader in solar power. In order to be profitable and to achieve a sustainable development on a long-term basis, the entire value chain ecosystem must be developed on priority basis.

India has taken a large leap towards renewable energies and has become the second most lucrative renewable energy equipment market in the world. The next couple of year’s agenda will be dominated by solar parks, solar rooftop, energy storage, floating PV, renewable hybrids and EVs. The growth of solar power sector in India over the coming years is all set to upsurge exponentially. n

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SECTOR // FOCUS

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Solar Power Sector

PV Technology Trends - India

Emerging PV technologies need to concentrate on increasing efficiency at lower prices.

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he solar PV segment popularity has greatly increased in India during the past few years, mainly due to the continuous fall in prices. This has led to increase in the solar PV market share in India resulting in rapid capacity expansion, in recent years.

As a result the solar PV manufacturing has been at all-time high across our neighbouring Asian countries particularly in China, Japan and South Korea - that cater to the majority demand in India. However, solar-photovoltaic technological innovations have not been able to keep pace with the market.

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The use of advanced technologies is expected to improve in the next few years as the solar PV market stabilizes and demand increases and would help to solve many market problems.

These innovations are expected to offer efficient generation of energy to overcome the challenges arising out of land scarcity and growing energy demands. Power Insight analyses some of the upcoming technologies in the Indian and global solar PV space‌

Bifacial PV Technology: The design of bifacial modules, which can produce energy from both sides, is one of the most promising technological developments in this field.

The power generation per unit from these modules will rise dramatically as solar irradiation can be received on two sides. There are transparent

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rear-facing sheets fitting for the twofaced bifacial modules while in the mono-facial modules these backsheets are opaque. The transparent sheet allows the passage of sunlight on the underside of the module.

The sunlight shines and falls on the front as well as the other side of the module that helps production of electricity from both sides. This doubles the effective area of the module unit even when the total area remains same.

For bifacial devices, the reflected irradiance, also called albedo, is a main determinant of efficiency. The conversion efficiency of the cells at the rear is another determining factor.

This albedo varies with the surface of the solar plant and has been found to be the highest over the snow-capped surfaces and lowest in water surfaces.

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SECTOR // FOCUS On an average such modules have an additional production of ranging from 5% to 50%. On the other hand, bifacial modules increase average power output by 20%. Studies are being carried out to clarify the return benefit of vertically mounted bifacial modules over latitude- tilted modules solar plants.

PERC Technology: Solar cell technology is continuously evolving; reinforcing and in this space - PERC solar cell technology is a relatively new addition to the line.

PERC stands for Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell or alternatively Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact.

The efficiency gains they offer over standard solar cells make PERC solar cells an exciting technology. In addition, it doesn’t require many modifications to existing cell production processes to move to PERC production. Thus to start manufacturing higher-efficiency PERC cells at a low cost is a relatively easy changeover.

The PERC technology uses chemicals added to the back of the cell as a dielectric passivation film that facilitate greater light absorption by solar cells. PERC reflects scattered photons through the passivation layer back to the surface, which results in a higher generation.

The PERC also prevents the recombination of electrons and induces blockage of electron free movement via the solar cell. This minimizing electron recombination helps improve cell performance.

The energy density of solar systems increases with PERC technology. As a result, fewer PERC cells are needed to generate the same amount of energy as compared tp traditional solar cells. India is facing the problem of restraint land and roof space availability for solar projects.

PERC technological developments are significant as it can be used to produce higher energy volumes from the limited space.

Emerging Technology:

Advanced PERC technology is a

One of the emerging technologies that holds a major PV technology will be further upgraded as commitment for the solar industry increases in size. But how and the global solar photovoltaic inwhen these technological developments will be dustry is Heterocommercialised remains to be seen... junction technology (HJT). HJT combines the benefits of crystalline silicone solar cells with revolutionary leap beyond conventhin-film technology that enable tional single-faced solar modules. solar cells to achieve higher efficienA PERC solar cell does not differ cies at lower production costs. greatly from a typical solar photovoltaic cell.

The major difference between PERC cells and typical monocrystalline photovoltaic cells is the integration of a passivation layer in the back surface which gives several advantages and improves efficiency.

Thus, PERC solar cell fitted solar panels typically perform better in low-light conditions and high temperatures than conventional panels.

gigawatt scale.

Perovskites, another PV technology have been developed as a cheap alternative to crystalline silicon technology. For perovskite-based solar cells, substantial research and development has been made that led to efficiencies of over 20% for laboratory-based PV systems.

Further processes and performance improvements are underway.

In view of the increase in efficiency and performance of Perovskites, they can be used for the development of large-scale unit. But the product deterioration is a challenge in Perovskites’ large-scale use.

Another issue that researchers face is the thermal decomposition of Perovskites.

The research is also underway examining the possibility of stacking Perovskites for both electrical and optical compatibility over existing thin-film technologies.

Conclusion: The significance of solar-power production becomes more important with the increasing peak demand-supply gaps, declining fossil fuel base and rising energy-based greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). To address this problem, the roadmap for solar photovoltaic technologies needs to be developed to identify measures to accelerate the technological change and improve the solar photovoltaic sector in India.

Silicon based Heterojunction technology (Si-HJT) has shown a record energy conversion of up to 26.6 per cent among crystalline silicon solar PV cells.

PV technology will be further upgraded as the solar industry increases in size. But how and when these technological developments will be commercialised remains to be seen. However, one thing is clear that such photovoltaic technologies have the potential to achieve large-scale solar energy usage and efficiencies at lower prices.

Work is actually on going to make the technology accessible and available. In collaboration with the Solar Energy Research Institute in Singapore, Singulus Technologies is focusing on cost efficient methods to develop the technology on a

In the meantime, the price of these technological developments and their incorporation in domestic manufacturing processes in contrast to the economics of imports from other countries are necessary to be understood. n

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Handling Ensuing Solar Waste Crisis

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ndia has bet big on solar power as it is one of the cleanest from of renewable energy generation and is also abundantly available in the country due its geographic location. While the solar power sector continues to grow, on the other hand, because of this growth - industry experts have started expressing concern about solar waste management and recycling systems in the country that are yet to be explained.

By accident or design, PV waste is governed by the eWaste Management Rules 2016, which make it the manufacturer’s responsibility to dispose of waste. However, the plan on how a nation treats its solar waste is absolutely zero with no particular rule and is trending globally. The exception is Europe, where the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, which covers PV waste, was passed by 28 countries in 2012. Under which the PV components should be collected and disposed of by the manufacturers of the module.

Currently, around 85 to 90 per cent of the Indian solar industry is dependent on imports. That leaves the government pondered to date, as how it can actually implement any obligations, legal regulations or the definition of the EPR, with producers located outside the regulatory framework of the Indian government.

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Oncoming Challenges : While India’s solar energy development is still in its infancy, the growth witnessed by the sector has been exponential in recent past, as the installed solar energy capacity has grown to more than 8 times – from 2.63 GW in 2014 to over 28 GW in March 2019. International Renewable Energy Agency has estimated India’s solar PV installed capacity reaching 600 GW by 2050, in one of its report.

Now the question arises that as a solar panel has a lifetime of 20-25 years, so what will happens to this waste and how it is to be handled.

Though, 80 per cent of solar panels are made up of glass and aluminum and not harmful. However, there is also use of other materials, including polymers, plastics, chemicals and metal alloys in PV modules, which are known to be potentially dangerous. If these are disposed of improperly, the possible environmental and health consequences of leaching these dangerous materials may be negative.

According to International Renewable Energy Agency’s, “End-of-Life Management Solar PV Panels” report published in 2016 – estimates India’s cumulative PV Panels waste to reach 4.5 million tons and 7.5 Million tons in ‘Early Loss’ and ‘Regular Loss’ scenario, respectively. Under both

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SECTOR // FOCUS scenarios the average PV panel life is considered of 30 years. However, while Early Loss scenario includes installation/transportation damages, on the other hand, Regular Loss scenario includes the 99.99 per cent probability of loss after 40 years.

On the other hand, as per a recent Bridge to India (BTI) report, the amount of solar module waste is estimated to rise to 2 lakh tons by 2030 and 1.8 million tons in India by 2050. The issue is further compounded by the fact that ‘ Solar waste ‘ in India still has no proper definition and is as of now meant to be discarded as a general waste. Awkwardly, the nation does not have the necessary political guidelines or functional infrastructures to ensure its recycling.

Key Developments So Far Though, the government understands the new capacity today is the waste of tomorrow. However till date, this long-term problem has not been seriously recognized by regulatory authorities. It is to be understood that if corrective action is not taken now, then 20 years down the line - the situation will be problematic to cope with. In the past couple of years the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has urged the government repeatedly to devise the policies for solar panel waste disposal.

Recently, a blueprint was provided by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) for the use, manufacture, disposal, and import of antimony-based solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and glass. Antimony is a chemical element with dangerous environmental effects.

The MNRE suggested in the concept note that, as part of their environmental responsibility, the recycling of endof-life solar panel glass containing antimony should be obligatory for generators. Producers shall also be made responsible, as part of the extended producer responsibility, for ensuring the recycling of end-of-life glass panels.

It also mentioned that generators must ensure that used solar panel waste is handled in an environmentally sound manner. It is the duty of the generator or supplier to recycle the solar glass panel used to reproduce new glass for solar panels. Each generator must create a secure dismantling of used solar panels or link to an official dismantling

facility. Antimony containing glass should never be combined with ordinary recycling glasses, as it will contaminate the entire manufactured glass.

Though MNRE pointed out that the solar antimony glass recycling facility is not yet available in the country. However, expects that such units could be created as soon as the appropriate amount of PV waste for recycling is available and the policy framework lays down responsibility for sending the waste for recycling for the generator or manufacturer.

Enabling regulatory control: The manufacturers are held responsible for collection and processing at the end of the life of the product under the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR). As the Indian solar sector is dependent on imports between 85% and 90%, it becomes difficult to implement responsibilities and legal regulations on manufacturers that fall outside the administrative scope of government of India.

The MNRE has therefore created an approved model and manufacturer list (ALMM) to guarantee reliability. This is to ensure, that anything produced is ecologically sustainable in the field of recycling as well. Also, through means of this ALMM directive, the government will be able to gain some sort of control and regulatory framework over the foreign manufacturers.

Way forward: According to some estimates, waste per kilowatt-hour generated by PV panels is 300 times more than any nuclear power plant. So before calling solar power as the cleanest form of energy we should remember how much waste it leaves behind in its complete lifecycle. It is important that industry in particular collaborate and proactively ensure a sustainable waste management policy for solar systems in order to make solar a genuinely green energy source.

The MNRE and the MOEFCC need to work together in formulating a regulation on a suitable solar waste management procedure as well as technical specifications for the same could be included in tenders. On the other hand, equipment manufacturers should use sustainable production materials to reduce waste management problems and developers and end users could enter into a reciprocal agreement to share the burden of waste management.

Though, some of the industry experts say solar waste recycling is a solution, however, still at global level the recycling of photovoltaic waste is in its early stages, both as far as technical standards and physical infrastructure are concerned and is therefore not commercially viable at present. Let the evolution of the solar recycling techniques take its time, in the meantime the government of India needs to take into account the increasing solar waste crisis as a matter of urgency and implement regulations at the earliest possible. n

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INDUSTRY // INSIGHT Industry Insight

PV Mounting Structures

PV Mounting Structures Market Trends

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mong all the renewables the sun is the most abundant and sustainable source of energy that is gaining strong foothold in the market.

The world is today looking towards installing more of solar pv power system to meet the rising energy demands. Due to the rapid growth of solar energy technology, solar systems are projected to provide 12% to 25% of global electricity by 2050.

However, one of the most important aspects to consider while setting up a solar pv system, is the structural strength that can support the pv system for a period of two and a half decades – its average estimated lifespan. Thus, a panel mounting structure in a solar pv system is an important element, as it provides the needed structural support to the system.

The mounting structures also enable the placement of solar panels at suitable angles in order to ensure that optimal solar

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irradiation is received so as to maximize solar power generation.

Thus, one of the key indicators of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) expertise is the proper planning, alignment and arrangement of these mounting structures.

Market Overview: India, the 5th largest installed solar power generation capacity in the world, is moving aggressively towards achieving its 100 GW by 2022.

According to various reports, the new installations this year are expected to reach nearly 14 GW, which is about 50% more than the capacity added last year.

Thus looking at the growth and to address this ever increasing demand for solar energy, the majority of steel giants world-wide are today supplying mounting structures to the Indian solar market.

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INDUSTRY // INSIGHT Currently, the market for mounting structures is highly fragmented and very competitive with more than 60 suppliers of solar mounting structures operating in the Indian market.

Despite low returns, large existing companies have been able to support themselves, while the small manufacturers face the challenges of unavailability of raw materials, price fluctuations and high labor costs.

The top ten leading mounting structure supplier firms accounted for 65 per cent of overall market share of India in 2018-19, according to Mercom India. The remaining 50 suppliers just had to settle with the residual market share of 35 per cent during the year.

Over the coming years these smaller players are most likely to leave the mounting structure market or will be taken over by the bigger players with deeper pockets.

A few of the major players in the market includes JSW Steel Coated Products Limited, a subsidiary of JSW Steel that has become a well-known name in solar mounting structures, in recent years. Another leading name in the solar mounting structures market is Pennar Industries that generates about 30 per cent of the company’s business from the solar mounting structure division.

Other leading players in the mounting structures market in India are the SNS Corporation, Ganges International, Tata International, Jakson, Solar Mounting System Solutions Neuvosol, Metalkraft, and Strolar.

Material & Design Trends As the market has seen a drop in prices of modules and inverters, the focus of cost management has started moving to other balance of system equipment’s including mounting structures. Thus, selection of the right module mounting structure is a critical process as the module mounting structure should have uncompromising resistance and durability while being cost competitive.

Look at the trends, the mounting structure suppliers are improvising on

their designs to reduce project costs without sacrificing the reliability and longevity of these structures.

In addition, new materials are being tested and structural changes are being made in order to produce products that are more cost effective and sustainable. As a well installed module mounting structure system has to withstand not only the weight of solar modules but also the extreme weather conditions such as storms and floods. Thus, a variety of materials from wood to polymers have been used to build strong, robust solar panel mounting structures.

Though, given the position of the plant and the life cycle, the most costbeneficial alternative and the popular choice was usually stainless steel in the majority of cases. Recent trends, however, indicate an increased use of aluminum and steel in the hot dip galvanized state to better protect against rust formation.

Though, Hot Rolled parts commonly used earlier were over-designed, making them voluminous and redundant.

In addition, the overall feasibility of the project used to go for a toss due to on site welding and fragmented supplies. Thus, the trend has now shifted from post-coated products to pre-coated ones for the advantages that it brings.

The design of mounting structures is based on location, usage, field and environmental considerations thus fluctuates with ground-mounted, rooftop, canal-top and floating solar plants. In reality, the solar PV industry has advanced to a stage where every location is today suitable for installation of solar power plants. This necessitates customisation of the mounting structure as per the site requirement and condition.

Thus, the design of the mounting structures can differ based on land topology, soil types and other weatherrelated considerations even in ground mounted plants. On the other hand, designing mounting structure for rooftop solar installations is complex process. Rooftops may be flat,

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sloping, constructed of concrete or a metal shed, thus in order to guarantee maximum energy output, installation structures should be designed differently for each roof.

Likewise, lightweight mounting installation systems that don’t adversely impact the structural integrity of canal must be established for canaltop solar projects. While, steps need to be taken to prevent corrosion in mounting systems designed for floating solar projects.

Way Forward Increasing demand for related equipment at economical prices can be attributed to the rapid increase in solar power installations in India across all applications. As per various reports, rooftop solar segment has become the fastest growing renewable energy sub-sector in India and has been gaining market share with a compound annual growth rate of 116 per cent between 2012 and 2018.

The solar rooftop market is expected to grow dramatically, driven by encouraging policies and competitive business frameworks. Total market size is projected to reach at 12 GW to 36 GW by 2024-25, with cumulative total investment of INR 376 to INR 1,127 billion.

There is projected to be even higher growth from the utility solar market.

On the other hand, rise in take-up of other applications such as floating solar and solar canal top has also been observed, which will fuel the demand for advanced mounting structures in the years to come.

All in all, the demand for mounting structures is expected to see positive trend over the coming years. Though, making mounting structures available at competitive prices, a high level of innovation will be needed both in the structural design and materials used.

Nevertheless, most manufacturers and contractors may try to cut costs by using sub-standard equipment.

Solar project developers must carry out strict quality control even if the initial costs are somewhat higher. n

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Solar Mounting Quality Concerns S

trength and life of any structure depends largely on the quality of its foundation. Likewise, module mounting structures are the foundation to any sun oriented photovoltaic (PV) venture. Great quality for a PV panels mounting structures becomes necessary as it has to withstand the harsh weather conditions while supporting the ground-mounted or rooftop solar powered project.

In recent years, enthusiastic and aggressive bid offering has negatively affected the market. Because of this hyper-competitive solar auctioning, developers in order to save margins have started taking certain cost-reduction steps. As a result, it has been witnessed that the mounting structures quality is suffering consequential to cut down on costs.

Structure Importance: Mounting structures plays an important role in any solar project as these projects are subjected to harsh weather conditions and are built to last for extended life duration. Thus these mounting structures need to be corrosion-resistant for long life-lasting and should be available in different thicknesses to hold a heavy load along with an outstanding electrical and thermal conductivity. |

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Mounting structures both in steel and aluminum are available in preengineered form across Indian market.

Aluminum structure can offer a good finish for a solar system but are more costly and reliability of the aluminum frame is also a concern.

Therefore most solar power plants constructed in India have selected steel structure that are either of hot dipped galvanized steel or pre galvanized cold rolled steel to support module mounting.

Best option is that the section of steel sheet should be hot dipped galvanized and has a minimum level of galvanization of 100–120 microns to prevent correction during the life cycle of the design.

In addition, the selection of the foundation is also an important factor in designing and lay outing the structure.

Where digging and drilling can be carried out, it is advised to opt for the concrete structure.

Rammed structures are more vulnerable to corrosion thus the life expectancy of such structure is at risk.

Quality at Risk: The mounting structure suppliers are feeling the heat of the competitive bidding in the solar sector due to

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current trend of steadily falling tariffs.

Price pressure leads to some innovative solutions in some ways, but the overall effect is that the quality suffers significantly.

Because developers have limited capacity to reduce modules and inverters prices, they try to cut other equipment’s costs. This has sparked a price war in balance of system (BoS) costs and the mounting system being a significant part of the BoS, the cost reduction stress is the greatest in this segment.

In addition, some of the project developers are also opting for rammed structures that are highly prone to corrosion, rather than more durable concrete structures, in order to save time and money.

On the other hand, while the cost of the modules, inverters, and cables can be minimized by ordering large quantities and suppliers can take advantage of economies of the scale. Unfortunately, this is not feasible with the mounting systems as each plant has a different design thus mass production becomes difficult.

Thus many of the mounting structures manufacturers have started using low class materials in order to save material costs and have flooded the market with quick design concepts,

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INDUSTRY // INSIGHT which cannot satisfactorily meet the thorough requirements of the projects even though the costs are economical.

Since the steel industry in India has been under pressure since a decade due to falling steel prices and extreme competition.

Usage of inferior quality steel for mounting structure can degrade the system long-term performance under harsh climatic conditions. In addition, it also impacts the reliability of the mounting structures which can lead to significant maintenance costs.

To combat this, steel companies tried to reduce their costs, however the quality of the steel is weakened, in order to compete and survive with relatively thin margins.

While talking to industry stakeholders, Mercom noted that suppliers are now being asked to build structure with a thickness of less than 1 mm against the earlier normal structure thickness that was used to be 2 mm to 3 mm.

As steel is mostly used for mounting structures, the quality of the steel has been compromised. This may take the form of steel grading or thickness or even the thickness of the coating.

This scenario could have a negative outcome on many solar pv projects that are meant to survive for 25 years bearing adverse climatic conditions.

Thus the average thickness of mounting structures has also started declining continuously, according to industry studies.

It is to be noted that the reliability of solar projects is also challenging for EPC contractors because of the deterioration of systems that influence electricity generation, leading to cost

cuts and compromise on performance.

Need of the Hour Often essential for longevity is the performance of the primary materials used in these structures.

Thus, for optimal performance of a solar energy project particularly in the Indian market, it is important to choose best material and proper design layout for a mounting structure system.

Even though test facilities, and approval requirements for modules, inverters and cables are in place prior to their market entry, unfortunately till date no regulatory authority for mounting systems is in place in India.

The solar industry needs to focus on implementing the best practices to evaluate and certify assembly structure items prior to installation. n

Rooftop Solar Module Mounting Structure

Robust design ; Effective asthetic ; Strenght to endure load

Manufacturer of aluminium solar panel mounting structures and accessories

Shed No.12/A, Rudrax Complex-2, Phase-3 , G.I.D.C , Vatva, Ahmedabad (Gujarat) www.powerinsight.vision-media.co.in

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Code Regulatory Authority Needed for Solar PV Mounting Systems in India Column By: Harshal Akhouri , Co-Founder/Director at Strolar Mounting Systems

Solar or coal? The energy India picks may decide Earth’s fate - Charles C. Mann in December 2015 The above statement is indicative of India’s strengths in renewable energy. The climate change threats are driving our dependence on pollution free sources of energy to

minimize greenhouse gas emissions. No doubt solar PV energy is one of the cleanest sources of electricity and is being considered as next to fossil fuel based conventional electricity systems.

World cumulative installed solar energy capacity of 3.7 GW in 2004 has reached 303 GW in 2017 i.e., increasing almost 90 times in thirteen years. Global investment in Renewable Energy (RE) has been growing steadily and increased fifty four times since 2004, from $47 bn to $2598.1 bn in 2016 in twelve years. The share of investment in the solar rooftop and other solar PV projects is increasing more rapidly.

As solar tariffs continue to fall and competition heats up, cost cutting on solar mounting structures is an obvious first.

Why validate solar mounting structure?

Typically all solar mounting structures that are installed in the market should have been validated, if they are already not.

a) Because ≥ 80% of solar PV plant cost depend on the strength of the mounting structure - If the mounting structure fails, so does the module, the functioning of the plant, the generation of plant and so on. The mounting system should at least be validated by 3rd party or peer-reviewed so as to check the authenticity of the product being shipped.

b) A system that performs well in one wind zone might not last in the other - In the past, we have come across mounting structures being used for a different wind

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INDUSTRY // INSIGHT

zone when it was designed for another. Result: catastrophic failures.

What are the regulatory standards and who makes them?

c) Time and cost saving during project execution

Whether you buy a shoe, a pillow or an aircraft – most products are manufactured (or shall be manufactured) based on some quality and safety standards set by international/local bodies formed of experts in the field.

Solar modules and even the PV mounting systems are no exception. Since, there are no regulatory organisation in India which develops standards for mounting structures, except Indian Standards (IS) and Solar Energy Corporation of India, SECI following international bodies develop and maintain for various mounting systems types and installation procedures:

and operation - When a mounting system product is a validated system, it saves time for electrical design, structural design, sourcing time, etc.

d) STAAD report is not the be-all and end-all of structural design - Let us start with wind load. Customarily, vendors specify wind speed for which their mounting structures are designed. Now, wind speed per se does not tell us much.

Purlins and other thin-walled sections fail not because of von-mises stresses but due to local, torsional-flexural or lateral buckling, and the failures can only be identified in finite element analysis. Another reason for STAAD being ineffective that it ignores the dynamic effects on the mounting structures.

Lighter sections pass all the static tests of design but what about the dynamic effects? As the structures become more slender, dynamic effects become more powerful.

Wind creates vortices at a particular periodicity, and if you are unlucky and the period of oscillation of your structure matches the vortices, resonance happens. The structure will then most probably fly off or damage a lot of mounted equipment. e) Open world markets for India : We have seen with the rising renewable energy sector and government policies, countries are drawn to India’s lucrative and ever growing renewable energy market.

With a validated system compliant to International Standards, India can set the pace for newer unexplored markets in the world.

n

International Organisation of Standardisation, ISO

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International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC

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International Code Council, ICC

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SEMI International Standards Program, SEMI

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Underwriter Laboratories, UL

n European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation n

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, IEEE

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American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM

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European Committee for Standardisation, CEN

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American National Standards Institute, ANSI

SECI and IS do not enforce that the code compliances are met on the supplied mounting structures, as on date, today.

However, SECI does conduct an inspection after the commissioning of the SPV power plant. Code compliances and

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INDUSTRY // INSIGHT malfunctioned on the application of testing wind speed.

A 15 MW was ripped apart on application of 70% of the design wind speed. The developer not only had to face commercial damages but also with reputation and investor confidence. Similar cases are widespread or are accidents waiting to happen because of non-compliance of statutory codes and regulations.

limiting companies to supply validated mounting structures before the supply could be a game-changer and will entrust the industry with technical confidence since all statutory compliances are followed.

Major Mounting System Standards In a given country, and for a particular type of installation, some of the standards specified by some or all of these bodies may apply subject to the national regulations. Any desired standards document can be purchased normally from the body directly or from third parties.

All operators, installation contractors, maintenance people related to PV mounting structures have to perform according to these standards. Certified training institutes are available for training technicians to work according to these standards. There are other organisations for quality inspection and training. Some of the major applicable standards are: n UL 2703, Standard for Mounting Systems, Mounting Devices, Clamping/Retention Devices, and Ground Lugs for Use with Flat-Plate Photovoltaic Modules n ICC AC 428, Acceptance Criteria for Modular Framing Systems Used to Support Photovoltaic (PV) Modules n

UL 3703, Outline of Investigation for Solar Trackers

n UL 3730, Defines photovoltaic junction boxes intended to be attached to photovoltaic modules. n UL 9703, Outline of Investigation for Distributed Generation Wiring Harnesses n UL 6703, Outline of Investigation for Connectors for Use in Photovoltaic Systems

Is an issuing authority on certifying mounting structures really required?

Solar mounting structures with an product validation and compliance certification mark may be connected to the grid, may receive government rebates & tax incentives and may also be covered by insurances and reduce the time and cost of plant assessment.

We have seen in the past how mounting systems have

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Commerce: All systems that are required to be validated have to spend substantial capex initially to meet the code compliances for each product that is developed, which is an additional cost to the develop the SPV power plant.

To coming close to the dream of “rooftop ready” or “grid ready”, it would just be a nominal expenditure.

Who can help?

Government of India has taken many initiatives to promote renewable energy sector in India and across the world. The definition of duties by SECI and MNRE has been commendable for improving and paving path for a monumental target which almost seemed impossible at one time.

SECI can set up a separate wing for the validation of products in accordance to Indian Standards or may be International Standards Organisation and ensure that the supplied systems are the only ones that have been validated by authority. Currently, SECI has been approving systems project-wise and laid out a general technical requirement for mounting structures which are being followed.

While strong foundations are being built in India through net metering policies and revising package of incentives; at city level greater role of municipalities in amendment of building by-laws for considering solar rooftop structure as temporary structure so that it does not need fresh approval for raising height of the building and role of DISCOMS in providing reduction in electricity bills by selling at lower rate in proportion to higher wattage achieved from solar installation so as increase home owners’ contribution in energy security for 24 /7 power for all are being considered.

Provisions are also needed for exemptions as tax exemptions or even general subsidy in promoting practices of using validated and code-compliant mounting structures initially set as free to the developer to promote the integrity and value-addition that the approved mounting systems from a governing authority can give with the current missions on ‘Make in India’, ‘grid ready’ and ‘rooftop ready’ as a promise for developing capabilities and transformation of entire solar industry in the country is recommended.

Export of the once validated and code-compliant system should be the suggested goals for the future.. n -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: This article is provided to support and standardise the solar mounting structure validation process. The opinion and perspectives expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent the postings, strategies or opinions of Strolar Mounting Systems Private Limited.

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! " #"

$ % %

Parking space : Roof pitch : Number & Positioning of module : Wind capacity : Span : Roof measurements : Entrance height : Roofing :

2 cars in a single bay 5 degree 18 modules ( 6 horizontal rows and 3 vertical columns on single bay ) 55m/s upto 5.5m 6.2 x 6 m 3m(F) and 2.5m (R) Solar panels can be mounted to the structure and the same can be used as roof

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Economical Easy installation, climbing on the panels not required Compatible with all framed PV modules V shaped support facilitates comfortable parking and turning radius Customized span available Space for vehicle door opening without hindrance Can accommodate car up to 6m in length Compatible with all Framed PV modules

Solar Mounting System Solutions

G1-G5, G R Trade Center, Survey No: 31/2B, Karikalan Chozhalan Street, Grandlyon, Chennai - 600052 Mobile: +91 97910 19060 ; Email: ganesh@smssolutions.co.in ; kck@smssolutions.co.in www.powerinsight.vision-media.co.in

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Market // REVIEW Market Review

Cables & Conductors

Cables and Conductors Market in India – 2019 With government’s on-going emphasis in the electricity industry targeting for 24/7 reliable power supply, reducing the loss of energy supply and total electrification of households, the market for cables & conductors in India, that grew at the CAGR of 12 per cent between FY14 and FY18 - as per various market reports - is anticipated to continue its growth trends over the coming years. |

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T

he wires and cables market in India comprises nearly 40 per cent of the electrical equipment industry. On the other hand, conductors constitute around 8 per cent of the overall electrical equipment industry in India. Over the past couple of years, both power and the other infrastructure sectors have seen strong growth which has aided in creating significant demands for the cable and conductors industry in India.

Currently, the main focus area in power sector is to develop and strengthen the country’s transmission & distribution (T&D) network. Since the cables and conductors are lifeline to the T&D network, the market is expected to witness a decent growth over the coming years.

Industry & Market Overview: The wire and cables market is growing at a CAGR of 15 to 16 per cent in the country - as a result of growth in the power and infrastructure segments. While higher imports still hit

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Market // REVIEW voltage (HV) cable segment at 20.9 per cent, and the control cable segment at 18.3 per cent.

However, the increase in the import of cables has impacted domestic demand. In 2018-19, the import of cables stood at INR 11.73 billion about 40 per cent higher than the respective imports recorded in 2017-18. On the other hand, imports of conductors at INR 4.83 billion registered a decline of about 8 per cent over the imports recorded in 2017-18.

the industry, policy changes and various initiatives by government and industry have shown signs that the sector is revitalized.

As per the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA), the size of cable industry in India was estimated at around INR 56,000 crore at the end of FY2019.

While the size of conductors industry in the country was estimated at around INR 10,800 crore at the end of FY2019.

During the FY 2019 the cables market segment witnessed a positive growth of 23.2 per cent. On the other hand conductors segment registered a de growth of 12.9 per cent.

While in value terms, India’s cable industry increased at a CAGR of 14.6 per cent - during the period between FY14 and FY18. However, on the other hand the domestic conductors industry has experienced sluggish development.

Though, after two consecutive years of negative growth, the conductors market was able to register a marginal growth in FY 2018 over FY 2017.

In the cable segment, demand has steadily increased for all sub-categories of cables such as LV Power cables, HV Power cables, Control cables as well as communication cables.

In FY 2018-19, the low voltage (LV) cable segment registered a growth of 26.2 per cent, followed by the high

Meanwhile, the total value of cable exports in 2018-19 stood at INR 27.11 billion and conductor exports at INR 24.23 billion, registering a growth of 6 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively.

This is a positive indicator for the domestic industry.

Key Demand Drivers In recent years, the cable and conductor industry has grown substantially, with government investments in the power and infrastructure sectors.

Some of the main growth drivers for the cable and conductor market is the continued emphasis on the 24/7 supply of power, development and enhancement of the T&D network and electrification of all towns, villages and homes.

Industry experts feel that over the coming five years, the sector is expected to double in volume, registering an increase at a CAGR of 20 per cent.

T&D Infrastructure : In this regard,

various government programs have resulted into fresh investment in the distribution sector including the Integrated Power Development Scheme, Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana and Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY).

Meanwhile, during the period 2017 to 2022, the Government has planned to spend approximately INR 2.6 trillion in the transmission sector, 1.4 times more than the twelfth Plan (2012-17) capex.

Of the scheduled expenditure, INR 300 billion is expected to be spent on 220 kV and below transmission installations.

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Renewable Growth : The Govern-

ment has set the goal of installing renewable capacity of 225 GW by 2022. Thus, the integration of this huge amount of renewables into the system is one of the key demand drivers for the cable and conductor industry. As a much of the added capacity is planned to come from solar systems, this provides a major opportunity for solar cables manufacturers and suppliers.

In addition, a number of transmission lines are to be built in order to evacuate power from these large renewable energy facilities being established under the Plan of 225 GW of renewables by 2022, which will push demand for conductors.

Smart City Initiatives: In addition, the on-going smart city projects will lead to creating a greater demand for cables and conductors as major developments is on cards across the electricity, telecommunications, housing and other infrastructure sectors in these projects.

Meanwhile, due to the growing right of way problems, underground cabling has almost become obligatory in heavily populated regions making it a critical component of smart cities initiative.

It is also chosen because of its advantages, such as protection from harsh climate, higher security, along with check on illegal links, stealing and pilfering as well as improved aesthetics.

Railways : Railways development

plans also offers huge opportunity for the cable and conductors market. The government plans to electrify its widegauge network by 100 per cent by 2021-22 that will involve electrification of nearly 40,000 km of track, which will boost demand for cables and conductors.

In addition, the INR 175 billion metro projects are currently approved at multiple phases and are expected to enter into tenders in the coming five years that will add to the demands opportunities for the segment.

The demand is also expected to increase through replacement of existing corridors with EHV cables and conduc-

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Market // REVIEW tors. This will allow utilities to transmit higher power via existing corridors that will considerably help in decreasing losses and power failures.

Furthermore, over the next seven years the oil and gas industry is expected to spend INR 6 billion, as 3 per cent of the capex is invested on cable in the oil-gas sector- it will add to the increase in demand for the cable industry.

Industry Challenges & Issues: No doubt that the cable and conductor sector in India has seen huge growth in size and revenues. It still faces several challenges that need to be taken care for a smooth growth.

Inputs price volatility: Input price volatility is one of the greatest challenges for players in the cables and conductors industry. As a range of commodities such as steel, zinc, copper and aluminium are used in manufacturing of cables and conductors.

Each of them has a powerful impact on the profit margins of the manufacturers. Therefore, it becomes necessary that a hedging processes to be developed, that can address these changes.

Lack of level playing field: In addition, some players often express a problem that the sector lacks a level playing field. The tenders published by companies frequently indicate a pre-qualification criterion that limits wide involvement, particularly of the smaller producers, because of a specific manufacturing process mentioned in the tender.

Lack of standardisation: The

industry also faces a challenge from the lack of standardization of the final item. As the cables and conductors industry in India is in majority unorganized, resulting in an uneven product quality from several producers due to a lack of standard guidelines. Standard rules for the sector as a whole is therefore need to be developed.

Import Challenges: The wire and cables segment is highly susceptible to changes in exchange rate as it highly depends on the imports from |

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China, the UAE, Russia and Japan.

On the other hand, more than 50 per cent of aluminum is used as a raw material for electrical equipment, which, in accordance with Chapter 76, attracts an basic duty of 7.5 per cent.

While completed products for example Conductor and Cable also attract the basic customs duty of 7.5 per cent. Because of this duty abnormality and the Indian cable and conductor sectors face tough competitiveness on the imported markets.

A decreased customs duty for the import of aluminum will be beneficial for industry recovery and development. IEEMA recommended reducing, the basic duty on primary aluminum metal from 7.5 per cent to 5 per cent.

Conclusion Due to the boost given by recent policy and regulatory measures and government programs, the wire, cables and conductor segment has seen unprecedented growth. In the coming period, the demand for electricity is projected to almost double.

This necessitates development of quality electrical infrastructure to support growth over the coming years that bodes well for the development of the cable and conductor segment in India.

In addition, the potential market for the high voltage (HV) and the extra high voltage (EHV) cables is considered by global investors to be India. The sector is also providing cables for solar and wind energy systems as well as for petroleum and gas, railroads, automobiles and other specialist sectors.

With government increasingly focusing on the growth of infrastructure sector, the demand for wires, cables and conductors will probably stay strong in the coming years. n

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Technology Trends Cables & Conductors Insight into technological progress and trends in cable and conductor industry in India.

I

n terms of technology, Indian power cable manufacturers have reached maturity for HV cables up to 220 kV, and have emerged as competitive players in the global environment. Some manufacturers have even developed technological cooperation or joint ventures in the extra high voltage market.

Given the country’s growing use of renewable energy, extensive transmission of power is the need for the hour. However due to challenges on account of right of way (RoW), the growth and development of the transmission network is restricted. This has necessitated focusing immensely on higher-ampacity conductors, which can deliver a high level of power without much needed modifications to the existing tower structures.

Thus, the cable and conductor segment has seen emergence of the following technologies lately, like underground cables, high-temperature low sag conductors, extra high-voltage (EHV) cables, e-beam cables, shielded conductors, gas-insulated lines, etc.

Given below is an insight into these emerging and trending technologies that are trending or making inroads into Indian power sector.

HTLS conductors The high temperature resistance and greater ampacity characterize the HTLS conductors than the traditional ACSR conductors. Since, the electricity consumption demand is continuously growing in India, although the current transmission lines are approaching critical ampacity limits. Thus, it is becoming difficult with each passing day to find cor-

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ridors for the construction of new overhead lines. As a result, one of the most recent practices by utilities is the replacement of existing ACSR conductors with HTLS conductors of almost the same diameter.

Whereas traditional steel reinforced (ACSR) and all-aluminum (AAAC) conductors work at 85 ° C and 95 ° C continuously, HTLS conductors can withstand temperatures of up to 250 ° C. In addition, HTLS conductors have 30 per cent higher ampacity than traditional conductors and the low-sag feature requires fewer towers.

One of HTLS’s multiple advantages over traditional ACSR is that an existing line with HTLS conductor will increase the power supply capacity. On the other hand, the HTLS conductor is not recommended for long transmission because of high-current voltage drops and power losses.

However, there are several HTLS conductor-related problems including a prolonged run time and the related cost increase. While, there is also requirement for power shutdown / outages by utilities during re-conductoring process and the line retrieval specialists requirement in case the conductor snaps or tower breakage.

EHV Cables Extra High Voltages (EHV) are generally classified for voltages level ranging between 300 kV and 765 kV. However, the transmission voltage level ranges between 66 kV and 400 kV (RMS value of line to line voltage in three phase system) in India. While the 765 kV voltages and above are called Ultra High Voltage

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sPECIAL // FEATURE (UHV) voltages.

As the losses in transmission are reduced at high voltages, the utilities in transmission and distribution T&D space are planning for the installation of EHV cables at a voltage of 66 kV and above. The extra high voltage (EHV) AC transmission system operation is simple, reliable and easy to implement apart from several other advantages.

When the transmission voltage is raised, it increases the power handling capability of the line. It is proportional to the square of voltage at operation.

However, the cost of towers, insulators and other electrical devices remains in proportion to the operating voltage.

Thus, the transmission line’s net capital cost decreases with increased voltage. The cost per MW per kilometre is significantly reduced. Therefore, a high voltage transmission line may economically transmit a large power.

Underground cables Due to increasing RoW, safety and security problems, underground cable systems are gaining popularity these days. These cables do not emit electrical fields and often require only a narrow band of land. In addition they offer better power loss

feature and have the ability to absorb power loads in emergencies.

Since well-designed and well-installed underground cable systems are supposed to last 30-40 years, and are not affected by weather events such as lightning, storms, floods, etc. In addition, these cables offer better aesthetic value being out of sight.

Even after these advantageous features, the main discouragement for their extensive adoption in the past was on account of the high cost and complication of installation of these underground cable systems, particularly cable connections and cable terminations.

However, in recent years they are in demand as they are best answers to the challenges of RoW. This is why they are becoming an essential element of urban T&D networks, leading to increased deployments by utilities in urban areas across the country.

Covered Conductors Un-insulated conductors between poles are usually utilized by MV distribution networks across India. The MV distribution lines usually use roadside poles with lengths that give conductors ground clearance but fall within touch range to the underground and the surrounding trees.

Thus the risk of failure and consequent environmental dam- age with naked

conductors is present.

Overhead conductors with insulating cover were designed to address these threats and improve the quality and security of MV distribution routes. The design is known as the ‘ covered conductor ‘ because its features vary from that traditionally known as insulated conductors. Such covered conductors maintain reliability and protection because they use an insulating substance to protect them from collisions with other covered conductors or grounded sections, such as tree branches.

This cover is enough to resist phaseto-earth voltage momentarily. The main benefits for covered conductors are their protection and lower costs over bare overhead conductors or underground cables. Thus utilities can now opt for higher adoption of these covered conductors for reliable power transmission and distribution at lower cost.

E-beam Cable Electron-beam (EB) or e-beam cables technology is another evolving cable type. In China and other countries like India, the development of EB technology in the last two decades has led to the cross-linking of cables and wires with the benefits of increased life and resistance to higher temperatures, better current carrying power, enhanced physical properties with lower thicknesses of these cables.

Cross-linked cables have been adopted for all critical applications such as railways, defence, solar power, wind and nuclear energy, due to their superior life and quality compared to traditional cables, where cables with cross-linked polymer insulation with a smaller insulation thickness are required. Electron beam irradiation (for cross linking) allows the polymer to be more stable for heat impact as well as makes it chemicals resistant, solventresistant and abrasion-resistant.

EB technology can also deploy for cross-linking of PVC to be used for building wires and cables. EB-linking technology not only improves life and current carrying capacity to more than

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SPECIAL // FEATURE double in PVC wires and cables for buildings, but also prevents fire due to short circuits due to overload, and thereby helps in saving valuable life and property.

Gas Insulated Lines (GIL)

short distances, though the technology for long distances has been developed.

Other Trending Technologies

Another evolving key cable technology is Gas Insulated Lines (GIL) for applications in areas where overhead lines are not viable. Underground cables are usually used as the main means of transmission of high-voltage electricity in areas where it is not possible or practical to run overhead lines, for example urban or industrialized areas, industrial areas and other regions.

Aerial bunched cables (ABCs) are steadily deployed by utilities in the distribution business. These ABCs offer greater security, reliability and system efficiency, reduce power losses, and leads to lower operating and maintenance expenses as compared to conventional bare overhead conductors in distribution systems. They are common in rural areas and in diverse terrains such as valleys, forest areas and coastal areas.

Popular underground cable technologies include paper-insulated oil-filled cables capable of operating in voltages of up to 300 kV and polyethylene solid- insulated cross-linked (XLPE) which operates at voltages up to 500 kV. However, these forms have maintenance problems, time degradation and insulation failures, and these failures also have significant effects on the environment.

Another evolving trend is High temperature superconductors (HTSs).

These HTS conductor system includes several wire lines wrapped around a copper core and a cryogene cooling system to maintain proper working conditions. Such conductors can hold 5 -to-10 times more current as compared to traditional conductors, which allows more energy transfer via the same towers and corridor.

Meanwhile, being compact in size, HTS requires a India has successfully lower RoW, thus ideal adopted most of emerging technology to for installation in dense urban areas meet the direct and indirect needs. Specialized with a high load requirement with the cables and conductors are being developed to cater existing RoW. Such the demand arising out of increase in smart grid conductors are capable of operating technology and renewable energy capacity.. in a broad range of voltages from 5 to 765 kV, with lower impedances than traditional conductors.

GIL system comprises of aluminum conductors protected by insulators in In addition, HTS-based devices sealed tubes filled with hexafluoride comprising of cables, power limitgas of nitrogen or sulphur. As there ers, transformers and energy storage are no external insulation layers, it is systems can restrict over-current flow easy to repair and maintain GILs with and prevent damage to the grid. XLPE regard to the underground cables. cables have also gained much popularity in recent years.

In addition, higher voltage ratings up to 800 kW that is being operational For both standard loading as well as globally, is one of the main advantages short circuit conditions it is possible of GILs over traditional underground to operate XLPE cables at higher cables. GILs may be used above temperatures. In direct current (DC) ground in trench or in tunnel systems, transmission, XLPE insulated cables but are currently restricted to relatively are useful. The world wide deployment

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of extruded XLPE cables is growing in new underground transmissions space. Extruded XLPE cables have a high transmission capacity that isn’t constrained by the length of the route.

Furthermore, HVDC XLPE cables can be deployed conveniently over a long distance, both under ocean as well as on irregular terrain.

The way forward Indian market has seen evolution in the cable design and materials over the years. Specialised conductors are being developed to cater the demand arising out of increase in smart grid technology and renewable energy capacity. Also, special DC cables are used in projects that operate in harsh environments, for which insulation is cross-linked through by electron beam irradiation.

In addition, utility firms involve in distribution are increasingly preferring covered conductors, offering the advantages of reduced risk, increased security and ease of installation and operation. Also, for extruded insulation with higher operating temperatures and lower cost, XLPE is favoured over HDPEs and low density polyethylene.

The Indian cable industry has successfully adopted most of the emerging technology to meet the direct and indirect needs of our customers. Some manufacturers have even established themselves in the extra high voltage segment, either through technical collaboration or through joint ventures.

However, due to inappropriate policies of many utilities, which promote imports rather than investments in the local industry, the country is still importing a significant part of its demand for cables of even 66 kV and above voltage levels.

Future trends in cable designs are expected to focus on the usage of dry insulation over wet ones, with benefits to the environment. Further, with increasing digitalisation, smart grids and high voltage direct current projects, the need for advanced cables and conductors is expected to grow in future.n

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sPECIAL // FEATURE

Wind Turbines

Technology On Track

O

ver the years, the wind power sector evolved and, owing to implementation of market-led policies and regulations, prices have been in high competition with fossil fuels systems.

This helped wind power sector to become the biggest contributor of renewable energy capacities in India during the past decade. Wind power currently accounts for 50 per cent of total energy capacity for renewables and 10 per cent of total electricity installed capacity in India.

The country has, however, a considerable untapped potential with only 35 GW installed to date. As per recent study of wind power potential carried out at 100 meters above ground level by the Chennai based National Wind Energy Institute, estimates the wind power potential in India at around 302 GW. It is not only the low potential use, but its pan-India expansion that is disturbing — nearly 90 per cent of this potential is concentrated in only five states.

Thus, new innovations and improvements in wind power technology is need of the hour as they will lead to major breakthroughs in wind energy penetration as well as will help achieve maximum wind power generation from the available winds.

Wind Turbine Technology Wind turbine is combination of turbine blades and power generator system helps in converting the kinetic energy of wind into electric energy. A traditional wind turbine consists of a rotor, a generator and a structural support system consisting of both a tower and a yaw mechanism for the rotor.

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SPECIAL // FEATURE The rotor has blades that transform wind energy into lowspeed rotary energy. The generator with help of a gearbox, control systems and speed drives processes the low speed rotary power into high speed rotary energy, and then generates electricity. The horizontal (HAWT) and vertical (VAWT) wind turbines are the two most common types of turbines.

In horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT), the main rotor shaft and electric generator are mounted at the head of the tower and must be pointed in the direction of the wind and is better for areas with steady wind directions. A small turbine is pointed with simple wind vane square with rotor blades, while large turbines usually use a wind sensor connected to a servo motor. The first choice was to set up these farms in the mountains and the hills. Individual wind turbines at these farms help to generate 100 MW or more of electricity.

The elevated base of the tower in HAWT allows stronger wind to hit wind-shear areas. At certain wind harvesting sites, wind velocity will increase every 10 meters by 20% and power output by 34%. These turbines are of High efficiency, because the blades are perpendicular to the wind and receive power throughout the rotation. However, there are certain shortcomings to these turbines too.

The majority of HAWTs are in an upwind design because downwind models suffer from fatigue and structural failures resulting from turbulence. In addition massive tower construction is required for support of various parts. In addition, HAWTs typically require high wind stabilization or yawing devices to avoid the spinning and failure or damage of the turbine.

New innovations and improvements in wind turbines technology is need of the hour as they will lead to major breakthroughs in wind energy penetration as well as will help achieve maximum wind power generation from the available winds...

On the other hand, the VAWTs are arranged vertically by the main rotor shaft. The main advantage of this system is that it is not necessary to point the wind turbine into the wind. For areas where the wind direction is very unpredictable or with rough winds, these are more suitable variant. The generator and other primary components can be mounted near the ground with a vertical axis, thus there is no need for a tower to support it and are easy to maintain. VAWTs being placed near the ground will benefit from areas where rooftops, floors, hills, ridgelines and winds are built up and wind speed is increased..

However, the average output of most VAWTs is restricted as compared to a typical HAWT, mainly because of the additional drag they have when their blades spin in the wind.

Thus, HAWTs are more common and they generate higher wind energy than their vertical counterparts.

A technological change is taking place globally in the wind energy sector with increasing energy efficiency and increasing hub heights. In India too, significant changes and development are being observed in wind power technology over the recent years. As majority of wind energy potential in India is concentrated across five states and are facing land availability constraint for new projects sites. New wind power technology is need of the hour as it leads to optimum wind power generation from available winds.

Recent Technology Advancements In order to improve the efficiency and energy capacity of wind turbines, considerable investment is made in research and development worldwide. Wind speed at project sites, grid reliability, aerodynamic efficiency, acoustic ability, visual impact and offshore considerations are some of the main drivers for wind turbine engineering. The design and technology of wind turbines and associated components have made tremendous progress in the last few years, some of which are as follows: Bigger Turbines: The demand is continuously increasing for bigger wind turbines with higher capacities and longer

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sPECIAL // FEATURE blades and is being sought by developers over smaller ones.

Since larger turbines generate more output power, the rotor diameter and tower height of wind turbines are continuously being increased by manufacturers for improved efficiency.

Trending in the global onshore wind market are 3 MW wind turbines that are progressively being deployed to offset the higher balance of plant cost and to reduce energy costs.

There is also a similar trend for offshore wind farms where larger wind turbines now up to 9 MW with rotor diameters of 164 meters are being used on advanced foundations in order to capture as much energy as possible. Moreover, the installation of bigger turbines also reduces the total number of turbines needed for operation and maintenance at the wind farm.

Floating wind farms: In offshore segment, there are areas where the water is much deeper and fixed-floor turbines cannot be installed. In such cases a floating base or base is attached to the sea level and the wind turbine thus floats in deep lakes or oceans instead of being secured to the sea floor or to the lake. These wind farms are now being built in offshore area where there is minimal opposition from activities like fishing or recreational boating, to harness more steady and strong wind.

Improved blade design: The manufacturers are also focusing on design developments in wind turbine blades to improve performance and the reliability of the blades. Knight and Carver’s Wind Blade Division in National City, California, partnered with researchers at the Sandia National Laboratories of the Department of Energy to create an new wind

turbine blade, resulting in energy collection rising by 12%.

The Sweep Twist Adaptive Rotor (STAR) blade features a wellcurved end which is specially designed to take advantage of all wind speeds, including slower speeds, unlike the large majority of the blades.

Other Innovations Various kinds of other innovations are taking place in wind turbine technology space. Designs of aerial wind turbines are being explored for higher wind speeds at higher air heights. In Alaska, in 2014, the first airborne wind turbine was launched with a massive cylindrical frame filled with helium that keeps it up at 1000 feet in the air in order to capture wind power from 5 to 10 times stronger wind currents.

While, a typhoon wind generator from Atsushi Shimizu in Japan has been designed that is prevalent in Japan, this turbine taps the large amount of wind energy which is trapped inside typhoons. On the other hand, a hybrid wind turbine with 13.6 megawatt wind and 16 megawatt hydroelectric capacity is also under development in the Swabian-Franconian Forest in Germany.

Furthermore, manufacturers are designing bladeless wind turbines like Vortex Bladeless that capture energy from the vortices of moving air and SheerWind Invelox turbine which speeds up the air through the process of ground-level capturing and upward funnelling. Such wind turbines are meant to be healthier for animals, in addition to the decrease in production costs.

The way forward Over the years, the wind energy industry has grown strongly and has become competitive due to market-driven policies and advances in wind energy technology. Continuous research work has helped to promote technology transformation by developing long, lighter rotor blades, high towers, stable transmission lines and powerful control systems.

Modern wind turbines become ever more cost-effective and reliable, with multi-megawatt power ratings and increasing in dimensions. Since 1999 the average capacity of turbines has increased, with a total average capacity of 2.15 MW installed being in 2016.

In 2018, average wind turbines produced in the United States was 2.4 MW, with a rotor diameter of 116 meters on average. Wind turbines continue to grow in size. Enable applications suggest that many larger turbines are under way. Turbine scaling significantly increases the efficiency of the wind project. The average capacity factor for projects constructed in recent years has been 42% in comparison to an average of 31% for projects earlier.

The segment will be more successful and more comprehensive efficiency parameters as other wind turbine technology developments in advance stages translate into commercial launches, leading to a further reduction in wind power generation costs in the coming years. n

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Market // REVIEW

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Product // LAUNCHED

RenewSys

Launched Advanced Technology Improving Solar Affordability and Accessibility - at REI 2019

R

enewSys, the 1st integrated manufacturer of Solar PV Modules (also known as solar panels), Encapsulants, Backsheets and Solar PV Cells has strengthened its position as an ‘Innovation Hub’ with the launch of a host of technologically advanced products that address the key challenge facing the solar industry today – lowering LCOE (levelized cost of electricity), at REI 2019.

The two unique innovations launched here are:

1. Specialized Backsheet for High Reflectance - PRESERV

LX range of Backsheets with a high reflectance (of over 90%)- increases the contribution of the Backsheet in the output of the modules. Simply replacing the Backsheet in any standard module with this high reflecting ‘Luminous Backsheet’ will improve its output noticeably.

This PRESERV LX range of Backsheets (available in Fluoro & Non-Fluoro variants) also improves the life and performance of the modules, ensuring that it benefits the end consumers - whether commercial power suppliers or those installing solar plants for captive consumption as well.

2. Making Floating Solar Affordable - While the Luminous Backsheet is designed to increase the output of standard modules lowering LCOE, land availability continues to be

a challenge for utility and large scale installations. This has brought floating solar plants into focus.

Modules installed as part of floating power plants have to face a host of varied challenging. If not accounted for, these can have a debilitating effect on a floating solar plant.

Hence, RenewSys has developed a special Moisture Resistant & High Vapour Barrier - Encapsulant and Backsheet - especially for floating PV projects that are an affordable, lightweight alternative to the Glass –Glass modules being used currently.

Being lighter in weight they are easier to handle and transport. Their formulation ensures uninterrupted performance on water bodies like lakes, rivers, canals and seas in conditions like increased UV exposure and humidity, formation of salt mist, moving substrate, etc. opening up more avenues for PV installations.

Healthy, high performing Solar PV modules require control on the entire PV value chain, i.e. a combination of ‘Silicon’ and ‘Polymer’ expertise, substantiated with focused innovation and reliability monitoring. Only an approach that factors in the long term performance of Encapsulants and Backsheets in a module, can assure reliable output through the 25+ year life of a solar project.

RenewSys has leveraged these diverse fields to launch advanced products that ensure increased output. These products that are on display at REI 2019 include - Galactic Modules – a range of high efficiency, high output modules that are IEC &BIS certified including resistance to PID, Ammonia and Salt Mist; DESERV Extreme – India’s only Glass-Transparent Backsheet Module engineered using a specialized backsheet manufactured in-house; RenewSys Multi Modules – fully DCR compliant- manufactured with RenewSys Made in India Cells and two ultra light-weight – Flexible & Semi-Rigid modules suitable for all roof types.

RenewSys also holds to its credit India’s only UL certified POE and the launch of India’s first 5BB and 6 BB cells. n

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Product // LAUNCHED

VIKRAM SOLAR

Launched ES Multi Bus Bar (MBB) Half-Cells Module - at REI 2019

V

ikram Solar, one of India’s leading module manufacturers and solar EPC solutions provider, launched a new line of high-efficiency MBB half-cell modules at the Renewable Energy India Expo (REI) in Greater Noida.

This module series is an upgrade of Vikram Solar’s existing 5 BB half-cell module and a new addition to the Company’s product portfolio. The modules will house 144 half-cells and would have maximum power up to 415 Wp in monocrystalline technology.

This new series would be available in the market from January 2020 and would offer increased light harvesting by reducing the inactive area of solar cells and internal resistance to yield higher field performance.

Ivan Saha, BU Head– Manufacturing & CTO, Vikram Solar Limited informed that the next generation of advanced technology module series is built for the ever demanding new-age customers who want maximum performance, efficiency, and power. “The latest launch of new series MBB

by Vikram Solar is a testament to the company’s mission to continuously push boundaries of efficiency improvement in solar in India. Fitted with a higher number of busbars, our new MBB half-cell module would also reduce performance impact from micro-cracks infield, and offer lesser internal resistance by reducing space between cell bus bars leading to lower levelised cost of energy. These features will result in improved performance and durability.”

Both ELDORA & SOMERA variants (Polycrystalline and Monocrystalline) of the new module series will be commercially available from January 2020.

Vikram Solar Limited (formerly known as Vikram

Solar Pvt. Ltd.) is a leading solar energy solutions provider, specializing in efficient PV module manufacturing and comprehensive EPC solutions.

With an international presence in 6 continents, the Company is an active contributor in shaping the solar revolution across continents.

Carrying forward the extensive manufacturing experience of the Vikram Group, Vikram Solar, since 2006, is building on a 4-decade-old success story.

Vikram Solar’s annual PV Module production capacity stands at 1.1 GW. The Company’s products comply with the national and international standards of quality, reliability, and performance.

As a fully forward- integrated Solar EPC solutions provider, Vikram Solar deploys world-class technology to design, install and commission solar projects worldwide. n

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Product // LAUNCHED

Luminous Power

Launched range of advanced solar inverters at REI 2019

L

uminous Power Technologies, one of the leading home electrical, power storage and renewable energy company in the country, launched an array of technologically advanced solar inverters like On Grid Inverter, Hybrid Inverter, Off-Grid Inverter at the Renewable Energy India Expo 2019. These solar solutions by Luminous intend to maximise consumers’ savings by efficiently managing power at home. The new range of solar inverters are designed for high performance catered to diverse consumer needs.

These highly efficient solar inverters from Luminous Power Technologies deliver uninterrupted power supply for all electrical applications and are extremely safe and reliable. These inverters offer tailored solutions to consumers through their applications.

Sachin Bhalla, Vice President, Marketing – Luminous Power Technologies, said, “Luminous is proud to have the widest range of solar solutions in its product portfolio today. The overall solar business has contributed close to Rs.350 crore to the overall Luminous revenue. We anticipate this year the revenue to be close to Rs.500 crore. At Luminous, we plan to become India’s leading provider of future-ready sustainable and energy-efficient products. As the demand for renewable and clean energy grows, Luminous will be there to provide smart solutions to every consumer at the most cost-effective prices, complemented by excellent customer service.”

lation and management of solar power systems. It ensures superior performance even in shaded weather conditions.

Through its enhanced monitoring system, the inverter also provides detailed real time information and guidance for maintenance.

Hybrid TX Series (Hybrid): Hybrid Inverter can be

used as a standalone On Grid or Off-grid Inverter or both as it comes with in-built back-up capability.

These inverters come with dual competency, under normal operation it can supply power to run electrical appliances at home and charge the batteries as well as export excess electricity to grid.

In the event of a power cut, the unit will automatically switch over to battery supply and continue to operate independently from the electricity grid, making it extremely safe and reliable.

Solarverter (Off-grid): Solarverter range from Luminous allows smart management of solar power, grid supply and battery.

These inverters come with Smart Solar Optimization, which means it gives priority to solar in both backup and charging mode of operation thereby maximizing solar energy utilization.

The range of inverters is summarized below.

Microinverter (On-grid): Connected to four solar modules, MI 1500 Microinverter converts DC power into grid-compliance AC power. It improves energy harvest, increases reliability and dramatically simplifies design, instal-

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These inverters are equipped with a user-friendly LCD Display which allows the user to monitor various performance parameters.

Complying with MNRE recommended standards, these inverters come with two years warranty. n

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COMPANY // RELEASES Lynx –Lawrence and Mayo associates with ChargeGrid for marketing of Community Charging Stations for electric vehicles

L

ynx Lawrence & Mayo, one of India’s leading Engineering equipment providers in the country, recently announced the expansion of their portfolio by associating with ChargeGrid, a pioneer in providing a range of Safe, Monitored and regulated community electric vehicle chargers. The association will enable building an ecosystem for accelerated growth of Electronic Vehicles in India.

India is making a big push for electric vehicles, signalling a turning point in its clean energy policy. In 2017, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari shocked the automobile industry (and the world) when he announced that he intended for India to move to 100%electric cars by 2030.

The Indian electric car market size was valued at $71.1 million in 2017 and is projected to reach $707.4 million by 2025, witnessing a CAGR of 34.5% during the forecast period.

Government schemes and subsidies are playing a major role in the growth of the market, in addition to the growing pollution levels in major cities of the country are, driving consumer preference towards a more sustainable and cleaner option with EV’s.

However, lack of adequate number of charging stations is one of the major restrain spotted in the Indian electric car market. The EV charging infrastructure is the most crucial factor impacting the growth of the electric vehicles market, coupled with lack of adequate financial. In addition to this, the technological challenges such as limited electric range and long charging time are also expected to affect the adoption of electric car in the country.

Through this partnership, Lynx – Lawrence & Mayo, will essentially market and facilitate access to ChargeGrid’s range of AC Charging Station products, which will be marketed and deployed by Lynx-Lawrence and Mayo and managed and monitored by ChargeGrid. The current range includes the ChargeGrid Pro – T2 and ChargeGrid PRO – 3P. Speaking about this association, Mr. Glenford D’Souza , Technical Expert , Lynx – Lawrence & Mayo, said, “We at Lynx- Lawrence and Mayo pride ourselves in offering intuitive innovations that reflect the need of the hour and are vital to making a progressive society and economy. Making EV Charging stations available and accessible is a crucial step towards sustain-

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able and environmentally responsible solutions. We are excited to be associated with ChargeGrid as their marketing partners, helping them expand the reach and network. We look forward to building a greener and healthier world for the future.”

The association will also address the EV Ecosystem challenge, by providing ‘made in India’ solutions for EV Vehicle charging through convenient and technology enabled charging points that comply with the Ministry of Power’s directive.

With integrated technology like wireless monitoring and data logging, enabled via ChargeGrid’s online and mobile platform, the charging stations are fully automated, completely unmanned and have an integrated payment gateway enabled via open network. All of ChargeGrid’s products are simple to install and can be customised to suite varied requirements, across locations, including co-operative housing societies, bungalows or office and commercial buildings.

Speaking about the association with Lynx- Lawrence and Mayo, Mr. Darryl Dias, Director of ChargeGrid, said, “We are honoured to be associated with a company like Lynx that has been leading innovation and change, meeting the demands and challenges of 21st century businesses, with a keen focus on sustainability and green engineering. True to our goal of making greener solutions for simple and accelerated growth of Electric Vehicles, we look forward to offer greater value and product support to industry leaders like Lynx – Lawrence and Mayo.”

Backed by the concept of ‘Made in India’, the ChargeGrid Pro series comes at one-fourth the price of similar products available internationally and plans are already underway for newer product portfolios.

Lynx- Lawrence & Mayo is the engineering and instrumentation arm of the legendary Lawrence and Mayo brand that boasts of over 142 years of glorious existence! With a Wealth of expertise acquired over than course of a century, Lynx– Lawrence and Mayo, along with its Technical Development Service Centres (TDSC), pursues its ultimate goal of excellence in design and innovation. n

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COMPANY // RELEASES Danfoss reaffirms its commitment to make Indian industries energy efficient

D

anfoss Industries Pvt. Ltd. an industry leader in energy efficient solutions for refrigeration, HVAC, heavy industries and district energy, presented its latest energy efficient Drives technology at the Energy Efficiency Summit in Hyderabad. The drives solutions are in line with the government’s vision to incorporate sustainable development for nation building.

Over the last 5 decades, the company has set a global benchmark of engineering solutions critical in reducing environmental and economic cost of progress with its energy efficient technologies.

Danfoss Drives have proven to be front-runners in its commitment to minimize carbon emissions with utility across industries from food processing to infrastructure building, chemical industry to water & waste water management.

They have also enabled companies to challenge the manufacturing environment to derive maximum potential from the engineering systems.

Speaking at the summit, Mr. Ravichandran Purushothaman, President, Danfoss India addressed the importance of Decarbonization across industries and said, “In this era of Industry 4.0, technology and the manufacturing processes are constantly evolving. With industry being responsible for over 38% of global total energy use, it is time for companies to emulate a way to address efficient energy consumption

and reduce carbon emissions.

Understanding this, the first pillar towards decarbonisation is to employ energy efficient technology and promote replenishable energy sources; secondly, it is important to integrate digitalisation and electrification as means to promote efficiency across business divisions, increase flexibility and enable integration across function systems.

Finally, it is important for the government and the industry to come together to promote a culture of innovation in the energy space, thereby allowing scope for new frontiers of sustainable development”.

At the summit, Danfoss addressed the need for companies to understand the complexities of safety issues involved in the industrial manufacturing space by drawing parallels to Danfoss’ real-life expertise across its varied customer base.

It included examples that has helped large Indian companies in improving its productivity and reducing energy consumption. The Danfoss Drives Solutions on display were Drive Sync, Antisway kit, IP 66 Water proof and IP 55 dust proof kit.

At the Energy Efficiency Summit, it was also announced that Mr. Ravichandran Purushothaman was elected as the Chairman of the CII National Council for Energy Efficiency , India. n

KEI Industries co-powers upcoming India- West Indies tour

B

ringing enthusiasm for the cricket lovers across the world, country’s leading wire & cable manufacturer, KEI Industries Ltd. today announced its sponsorship for the upcoming India-West Indies 2019 tour starting this month.

Under the sponsorship, KEI Industries will be co-powering 3 ODI’s and 2 Test Matches beginning from August 8, 2019 to September 3, 2019.

Bringing in-large visibility in the ground, KEI Industries will have pitch mat branding along with the other sponsors.

Along with this, the company’s logo will be also running over the digital perimeter board and digital sight screen further enhancing the brand’s visibility.

While cheering the winners, cricket enthusiasts can also view KEI branding during the presentation ceremony.

Excited for this association, Mr Akshit Diviaj Gupta, Director- KEI Industries Ltd. said: “KEI Industries has always

been supporting cricket in India for both national and international matches. I am delighted to announce our partnership with the upcoming India- West Indies series.

Such partnerships strengthen our relationship with our customers and key stakeholders. In addition, this engagement will further help in exploring new market opportunities and spread the company’s branding in new market.

Earlier this year, KEI also announced its second consecutive association with Rajasthan Royals, for the 12th edition of the Indian Premiere League (IPL).

KEI Industries Limited, known for its unique product range across the world is one of the leading wire and cable manufacturers in India.

KEI manufactures high and low tension cables (EHV, HT & LT), control and instrumentation cables, house wires, power cables, stainless steel wires, and electrical cables.

Its unique product range of wires and cables is known pan India and across the globe. n

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eVENT’S // DIARY

Save The Dates 20-22

Nov 2019

CII Global Energy XPO

27-29

Aerocity Central, New Delhi, India

Dec 2019

Intersolar India 2019

Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bengaluru, India

An Exclusive display of eminent brands of energy sector verticals featuring Renewable Energy, Conventional Generation, Transmission & Distribution, Energy Storage & Charging Infrastructure, Power Equipment Manufacturers & Service Providers, Oil & Gas, New Technologies and Start-ups, Electric Vehicles, International and State Pavilions

Intersolar India at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre is India’s most pioneering exhibition and conference for India’s solar industry and has a focus on the areas of photovoltaics, PV production and solar thermal technologies.

2019, Intersolar India will be held for the first time under the umbrella of The smarter E India – India’s innovation hub for the new energy world.

For Details Visit : http://www.gexpo.in

For Details Visit : https://www.thesmartere.in/en/intersolar-india

18-22

Jan 2020

Elecrama 2020

13-15

India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, India

Feb 2020

Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai, India

ELECRAMA brings together the complete spectrum of solutions that powers the planet from source to socket and everything in between. Featuring not just equipment & technology, but peerless thought leadership platforms for everything electric - from technical conclaves to industry summits..

This event will be bringing together businesses, sustainable energy industry trade associations, government agencies, and energy policy research organizations to showcase the status and potential of the cross-section of renewable energy industry.

For Details Visit : https://www.elecrama.com

For Details Visit : http://www.renewableenergyexpo.biz

15-18

Feb 2020

10th World PetroCoal Congress and Expo Convention Centre-NDCC, New Delhi

The 10th World PetroCoal Congress-2020 conference & expo aims to encourage fruitful dialogue for sustaining future growth of Petroleum – Coal Sector and make an attempt to provide solutions to the problems faced by the Oil, Gas and Coal industries world over. Specially focused on key industry issues and emerging energy solution while pursuing business building and networking...

For Details Visit : http://www.worldpetrocoal.in

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3rd Renewable Energy Expo

August - September 2019

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Power Insight

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14-16

Feb 2020

India Solar Expo 2020

IIA Bhawan Grounds, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, India

Indian Industries Association (IIA) welcomes you to the world of endless opportunities in one of the world’s biggest solar market. India is a market which is seething with an insatiable appetite for power, so what are you waiting for!!!

Come and explore this wonderful opportunity, at- India Solar Expo 2020..

For Details Visit : https://www.aiss.org.in

www.powerinsight.vision-media.co.in

ANSALI GROUP BH OVER Years of Quality, Innovation and Reliability

75 51

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Whether power or telecom, household or IT, industrial or broadcast, OEM or after-market, you can always rely on Bhansali cables for sustained performance. No wonder then that you are always a winner with our quality. So, go ahead and switch to Bhansali.

A-38/4 Mayapuri Industrial Area Phase I, New Delhi 110 064 +91 11 28113664/65 • info@bhansali.net • www.bhansali.net

LOOKING FOR GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES? BECOME OUR DEALER IN UNREPRESENTED AREAS. CONTACT US TODAY! Single/Multi Core Flexible Wires • House Wires • Telephone & Switchboard Cables • CCTV Cables • Co-axial Cables • LAN Cables Instrumentation Cables • LT Power & Control Cables • Solar Cables • Submersible Cables • Speaker Cables www.powerinsight.vision-media.co.in

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Power Insight

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August - September 2019

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MAGNIFY your Brand presence across Indian Power & Renewable Energy Sector

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Power Insight A 10 year old diverse media platform for power sector companies to catch the eyeballs of key decision makers.

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Mr. Navin +91 - 7303355982

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August - September 2019

Vision Media Group marketing@vision-media.co.in I Ms. Geetha |

Power Insight

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+91 - 9321055982

www.powerinsight.vision-media.co.in

geetha@vision-media.co.in