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With this entry into the solar energy segment, Servokon has also become an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company with its product range off-grid & on-grid solar power generation systems, panels and inverters. As a part of its initial role as a solar energy player, Servokon will be providing solar batteries, inverters and panels to domestic customers, and the company will also be installing Solar Power Generation Systems (SPGS). All innovative and advanced solar products of Servokon were displayed at the Elecrama 2023.

“While Servokon has already won strong market trust with its high-quality power conditioning equipment and power & distribution transformers, we are now all set to contribute to the government’s mission to reduce the country’s overall carbon footprint. Our team has always embraced innovation and technology to manufacture the best-in-the-market products and will display that fervent dedication with solar products, too. The company’s move in solar energy is entirely in line with the Make in India initiative and is aimed at facilitating the government’s mission to build Energy Independent India,” noted Asif Khan, Director, Purchase and Service, Servokon.

Servokon has also exhibited its energy prowess at Elecrama 2023 by showcasing a power transformer with a massive capacity of 16,000 KVA. This also marked Servokon’s entry into the power distribution segment.

Source: PTI

New Delhi: Solar energy should be harnessed in Ladakh but without taking away th…Read More…

Source: PTI

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Paris : TotalEnergies has reached a new milestone with the signature of 1 GW of greenPower Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for self-consumption on the sites of its B2B customers. This performance is the result of a strong development strategy based on a multi-energy approach to support its B2B customers in their energy transition through the solarization of their sites.

TotalEnergies offers attractive energy solutions adapted to all fields of activity, both in the private sector – particularly in the Mining, Cement, Retail and Agri-food market segments – and in the public sector. Ensuring a high level of service, its presence in 30 countries allows the Company to be close to its customers in the Asia-Pacific region, China, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the United States.

TotalEnergies sells to its B2B customerscleanenergy produced directly on their sites through long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). To this end, the Company develops, finances, builds, and operates solar panels installed on rooftops, carports, or vacant industrial land.

These solarsolutions enablecompanies to benefit from significant savings on their bills, while greatly reducing their carbon footprint.

“We are proud to have reached1 GW of signed solar capacity with our B2B customers today.The deployment of this capacity to over 500 industrial and commercial sites will be completed by the end of 2023.

This good result shows the trust that has been established between our customers and TotalEnergies’ experts. The professionalism of our teams, located in different regions of the world, ensures a quality of listening and service recognized by our customers. Our organization enables us to meet the requirements of global, regional, and local key accounts with high-quality turnkey solutions.

In a context of unstable and rising energy prices, we provide not only decarbonized energy but also visibility on energy prices as well as technical supportthroughout the duration of the PPA.” said Matthieu Langeron, VP Solar Distributed Generationat TotalEnergies.

TotalEnergies and renewables electricity

As part of its ambition to get to net zero by 2050, TotalEnergies is building a portfolio of activities in electricity and renewables. At the end of 2022, TotalEnergies’ gross renewable electricity generation installed capacity was 17 GW. TotalEnergies will continue to expand this business to reach 35 GW of gross production capacity from renewable sources and storage by 2025, and then 100 GW by 2030 with the objective of being among the world’s top 5 producers of electricity from wind and solar energy.

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.

Solar developers in India fear that a tax meant to encourage Indian manufacture of solar components will slow down the installation of solar power this year

BENGALURU, India : In May last year Fortum India, a subsidiary of a Finnish solar developer, won the bid for a solar power project in the state of Gujarat. The project was due to be completed three months ago and would have generated enough electricity for 200,000 homes.

But like many other solar power projects in the country, it’s been delayed as Fortum India struggles to source and pay for necessary components.

“For the last six months, we have not been able to finish developing any new projects,” said Manoj Gupta, who oversees Fortum India’s solar projects in India.

Gupta said solar panels and cells have become obstructively expensive because of protective taxes the Indian federal government implemented in April last year. The basic customs duty imposes a levy of 40% on imported solar modules and 25% on solar cells.

The government says it wants to encourage the domestic manufacture of components required to produce solar power and reduce the country’s reliance on imports.

But solar developers say homegrown producers, while rapidly growing and being pushed along by policy initiatives, are still too fledgling to meet demand. Current cell and module manufacturing capacity in India is around 44 gigawatts per year, just a fraction of what’s needed to meet India’s renewable aims.

In 2022, India had a target to install 100 gigawatts of solar energy as part of goal to add 175 gigawatts of clean electricity to its grid. But only 63 gigawatts of solar power were ultimately installed last year, according to Indian federal government data. India missed its 2022 renewable energy target by just nine gigawatts.

“Without these duties we would have easily achieved our targets for larger solar projects, at least,” said Jyoti Gulia of the renewable energy research and advisory firm JMK Research.

Most solar developers in India and around the world rely on China, with the nation producing more than 80% of the world’s solar components, according to the International Energy Agency. Many countries have tried to encourage domestic production to limit dependence on the country. The United States’ recent climate law, for example, also incentivizes homemade renewable energy manufacturing.

“China controls the market and we saw during both the pandemic and the geopolitical conflict between our countries that they just stopped the supply chain completely,” said Chiranjeev Saluja from the Indian solar manufacturer Premier Energies. “I think the government wants to develop the whole solar ecosystem, that is the intent behind such policies.”

Saluja added that a bustling solar manufacturing industry also had wider economic benefits.

“The jobs in manufacturing are well-paying, secure jobs. And while developers employ only a handful of people, to manufacture cells required to produce one gigawatt of solar energy, you will need at least 500 people,” he said.

A 2022 report found that India’s renewable energy sector could employ more than one million people by 2030, but only if domestic manufacturing continued to scale up considerably.

Another Indian government policy that mandates that solar components can only be bought from government-approved manufacturers to ensure that the modules and cells are of good quality is also stalling projects, according to analysts.

Developers are unable to purchase from southeast Asian countries as manufacturers there have yet to be approved or have not applied. Many of those countries have free trade agreements with India which would make them exempt from import taxes.

“The situation is quite grim today,” said Vinay Rustagi, managing director at the renewable energy consultancy Bridge to India. “Global supply chain issues, material shortages and, of course, the duty on solar components has led to a lot of projects being postponed.”

Rustagi said the growth in domestic manufacturing as a result of the tax is “encouraging, but I do not think it is sustainable.” He added that the government “should be aiming to create strong domestic capabilities that can be a preferred choice without any taxes or duties.”

Solar manufacturers do not agree.

“We have allowed for dumping from other countries for too long. Otherwise domestic manufacturing would have taken a strong root already,” said Gyanesh Chaudhary, vice chairman at Vikram Solar, an Indian solar manufacturer.

“These taxes and policies were announced well in advance and there was enough time to factor them into costs,” Chaudhary said. “Mandates such as the approved list of manufacturers are to make sure the quality of products coming into India are of a certain minimum quality.”

But Srivatsan Iyer of solar developer Hero Future Energies said the unpredictability of the sector made it hard to factor in the extra costs.

“Land, connectivity to the project site, supply chain issues are just some dynamic factors and, of course, the pandemic,” said Iyer of the difficult landscape for solar projects. “With these duties, clean power is just more expensive for India now.”

Iyer is worried that the extra costs could also thwart India’s next renewable energy target in 2030. But he’s hopeful the government might defer some duties in the upcoming federal budget announcement scheduled for Feb. 1.

The government hasn’t yet given any indication that it will make amendments to its tax policy.

Source: AP

MSEDCL Issue Tender for Supply of 350 MW (AC) SOLAR POWER FROM PROJECTS TO BE DEVELOPED IN Maharashtra THROUGH COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS.

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Carbon has a (justifiably) bad reputation for its role in climate change.

You’ve heard we need to reduce our carbon emissions, our carbon footprint, our carbon miles.

That’s certainly the case, but this is typically carbon that is emitted into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, methane and soot.

Other carbon materials also need a bit of respect. They will be critical to our transition from burning fossil fuels.

Lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen fuel cells and solar panels will all help us reduce our reliance on these old sources of energy — and they all use carbon materials.

Let’s explore a few of the carbon materials that will improve green energy technology.

Without carbon, lithium-ion batteries tend to catch fire

Lithium-ion batteries are a cornerstone technology for decarbonisation.

They will power our electric cars and help buffer renewable energy fluctuations in the grid.

But lithium metal reacts violently with air and water, leading to early lithium-cobalt batteries catching fire.

Japanese chemist Akira Yoshino solved this problem in the 1980s by adding carbon to the lithium-cobalt battery.

Specifically, Professor Yoshino added graphite — a form of crystalline carbon. Graphite soaks up lithium metal, forming a stable compound where, for every six carbon atoms, one lithium atom is stored in ordered arrays between graphite’s layers.

The “lithiated graphite” also changes colour from a dull black to a beautiful gold.

If the battery is exposed to air, the oxygen and water cannot as easily get to the lithium, making it safe enough to store in your pocket.

Professor Yoshino shared the Nobel prize in Chemistry in 2019 for developing lithium-ion batteries as we know them today.

It is only really in the past decade that these batteries have started to decarbonise our lives through electric cars and in our electricity grids.

And while lithium-ion batteries appear set to take over the world, there are still some issues that could lead to manufacturing bottlenecks.

Most of the graphite used in lithium-ion batteries is mined and is not pure enough to be used directly in batteries. It also requires washing in acid to remove contaminating metals, leading to an environmentally damaging waste stream.

To create an alternative, researchers in the Carbon Group at Curtin University have been working on producing graphite for batteries from, for instance, construction waste.

“We are able to convert polyvinyl chloride, a common waste material used in plastic piping, into high-quality graphite,” said Jason Fogg, a PhD student who studies carbon materials science.

But this waste-derived graphite is still more energy-expensive compared with mined graphite.

“The high temperatures required are the current challenge,” Mr Fogg said.

“You must heat the plastic pipe to almost 3000 degrees Celsius, which is half the surface temperature of the Sun, before it converts into graphite.”

Irene Suarez-Martinez, who co-leads the Carbon Group, has been turning to supercomputers to find ways to lower this temperature and, therefore, make waste-derived graphite cheaper.

How does carbon help green hydrogen?

Countries are investing billions in “green hydrogen” — hydrogen gas produced with renewable energy — which can be used as an energy store.

But there are vanishingly small amounts of naturally occurring hydrogen gas here on Earth. This is because hydrogen likes to bond with oxygen to form water.

To make green hydrogen, electrical energy from renewables splits the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen in a device called an electrolyser.

A fuel cell device can then later recombine the hydrogen gas and oxygen, providing electrical energy on demand — in, say, a hydrogen fuel-cell electric car.

One of the main challenges holding hydrogen back as an energy source is the cost of the platinum metal needed in fuel cells and electrolysers to let the reactions occur.

But due to the scarcity of platinum in the earth’s crust, it is horrendously expensive, and makes up around 77 per cent of the cost of a fuel cell, as estimated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the US.

Yuan Chen from the University of Sydney is an expert in using carbon materials to reduce the cost of hydrogen fuel cells.

“We are replacing the platinum with single-atom catalysts, where the atom is iron, nickel and cobalt, embedded into carbon,” he explained.

Further work is underway to improve the stability of these platinum replacements, but they have so far reached the milestone of performing at a similar efficiency as the more expensive platinum catalyst.

Carbon can improve solar efficiency too

Timothy Schmidt is leading a team at the University of New South Wales to improve the efficiency of solar cells using carbon-based coatings.

“The best silicon solar cells max out at 26 per cent efficiency and engineers can scramble to make them more efficient, but they are running up against a ceiling,” he said.

The reason silicon solar cells are not more efficient is that they can only transform specific colours of light into electricity. Redder light is converted most efficiently, but as the light gets bluer, it produces more heat.

Professor Schmidt’s team is working on a coating to put atop a silicon solar cell to convert blue light into redder light that silicon can efficiently absorb. This has the sci-fi name of a “singlet-fission solar cell”.

If the carbon-based coating can increase the amount of energy produced by the solar cell, it could improve panel efficiency by up to 35 per cent in the next five to 10 years.

While a hike from 26 to 35 per cent doesn’t sound like a lot, it makes a huge difference when it comes to solar payback time.

For example, increasing the efficiency of a solar cell from 12 per cent to 14 per cent halved the payback time for a solar system from four to two years, according to researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands (although solar efficiency isn’t the only factor that affects payback time).

These are just a handful of many projects in Australia and abroad using carbon materials to build and refine green energy technology.

And despite its bad reputation, carbon can help us reach our climate goals.

Source: abc

MSEDCL Issue Tender for Supply of 500 MW (AC) SOLAR POWER FROM DECENTRALISED SOLAR PROJECTS UNDER COMPONENT-C OF PM KUSUM SCHEME.

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Maoist-hit Bastar, solar power brings individual tap connections to rural homes

Bastar (Chhattisgarh) : There is a nip in the air. The clucking of hens, the clanging of pots and pans, and the delicious aroma of ‘chaur bhaja’, a traditional rice and roasted chicken dish, keep the senses alive.

Resplendent in a red saree, Dasmi Nag arranges the logs to maximise the heat in her ‘chulha’ (an earthen stove).

Belonging to the Dhurwa indigenous community, Dasmi lives in Gudiya village of Bastar, a district known for its vibrant tribal life and Maoist insurgency, in Chhattisgarh state of Central India. In her mid-40s, Dasmi travels down memory lane to a time when, as a young bride, her in-laws would chastise her if the food was served late.

“Can you imagine the rush to prepare ‘pej’ (a rice and ragi porridge) and lunch for the entire family when everyone is hungry? It all depended on water availability. On most days, I had to go to a nearby stream located a km away for clean drinking water. The hand pump came much later, in 2012-13,” she says, remembering how her legs had felt weak and her neck and shoulders had ached due to the weight of the water pots on her head.

In the winter, when darkness descends early, the women would band together for courage, carrying ‘mashals’ (a long pole with a fire burning at one end) through the dense forest teeming with wildlife.

Dasmi got tap connection at home sometime back under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) run by the Jal Shakti Ministry. The programme is aimed at connecting every rural household in India with tap water connection by 2024, covering 19.35 crore rural families.

At the time of its launch, 3.23 crore families had access to tap water. As on December 12, 2022, the numbers have increased to 10.72 crore. Bastar district has seen 30.24 per cent coverage with 49,554 out of the 1.63 lakh households having tap water connections.

Touching lives

In areas where electricity grids are absent, the use of solar power under JJM helped bring tap water to rural households. The Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) and Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) have been working together to set up these solar water structures.

Under the project, one horsepower (HP) solar submersible pump costing Rs 90,000 is installed and a structure, either nine or 12-metre high with a capacity to hold two 5,000-litre water tanks, is built. The whole set-up is powered by four solar panels of 300 watt each.

PHED Executive Engineer S.P. Mandavi told 101Reporters that solar energy in water connection arrived in 2010-11. Under the Chhattisgarh government’s Nal Jal Yojana, solar was used in some instances and a common stand post was erected for water collection. The JJM added individual tap connections to that.

CREDA Executive Engineer Damrudhar Sidar says the use of solar power in JJM has accelerated its penetration and efficiency.

“Earlier, structures of four-and-a-half metre to six metre in height were built under the Nal Jal Yojana. With the JJM, the structure’s height was increased for better gravity, so that water could reach the tail end to serve 25 to 30 households in a hamlet.”

Sidar says the CREDA is working only in areas having grid connectivity issues and those proposed by the PHED, which funds the structure construction. “Many gram panchayats (village councils) often failed to pay electricity bills, ultimately leading to disconnection.”

Individual connections have reduced the burden of fetching water from long distances. For years, Rukna Yadav from Bamnaras had fetched water from a chua (surface water source in fields).

“I had to boil the water to use it. In the monsoon, it got dirty. I do not have to toil much now, as the nearest water stand post located just 50 metre from my house started functioning four months ago.”

Prior to the JJM, many women in Bamnaras village depended on either the hand pump or a perennial chua.

“Most of us had to spend at least 15 to 30 minutes each time bringing water. The manually operated hand pump made the hands ache. So many vessels, big and small, had to be filled two to three times,” says Rambati Nag.

Jitri Nag (50), who used to spend about an hour daily fetching water from the stream, adds that she finds time to tend to her kitchen garden after getting the tap connection. Standing by and translating, Baliram Nag, nods. A Dhurwa community member and CREDA technician, he intimately knows how the lives of women have changed since improved water connectivity.

Besides home connection, there are common stand posts where women can collect water. In a few places, the individual taps are yet to yield water as connections have not been possible.

For Bamnaras resident Tara Nag, a mother of four, the common stand post is a stone’s throw away and she takes just 10 minutes to fill up her vessels each time. There is no tap in her house, which is at a higher elevation.

Though many have benefitted from the JJM, it is a long-drawn process in interior villages. First site surveys are carried out, followed by foundation work, erection of structures and installation of dual water tanks on top.

Overcoming problems

Noting how Tusail village has aquifers located deeper than in other places, CREDA Sub-engineer Kamlesh Kumar says some areas of Bastar have this issue. In such cases, the solar capacity could be enhanced using high-power pumps. Water can also be lifted from surface sources, but requires purification at a treatment plant. However, the JJM does not provide for that facility.

CREDA Superintending Engineer, S.K. Shukla tells 101Reporters that site selection posed problems as workers mostly refused to come to Bastar for work. Against 1080 work orders for solar pump systems under the JJM in Bastar division (encompassing seven districts), work has been completed in 883 of them. In Bastar district alone, there are work orders to solarise 199 out of the 614 water structures; 164 of which have been completed.

In the whole of Chhattisgarh, 4,534 solar pump systems have been installed against the 5,010 work orders. For the financial year 2022-23 (April-March), the total budget allocation for Bastar district till November this year under JJM stands at Rs 28 crore.

On the progress made in Bastar so far, District Collector Chandan Kumar tells 101Reporters that people, especially women, were appreciative as the JJM scheme saved both their time and energy.

“By December next year, all households will be covered,” he predicts.

However, issues like improper functioning of taps or yielding water in lesser quantities are cropping up. In Kanakurushpal, all 75 households have tap water connections. Mangla Kashyap, a beneficiary, now gets ample time to spend with her children.

“But some women still queue up at the hand pump as taps are not functioning properly or the water flow is lean,” she says.

In Irpa village of Bastanar, a region dominated by memorial pillars erected in honour of the dead, most residents belong to the indigenous Maria community. Here, a solar system has been set up in Pujaripara hamlet.

The residents point out that cloud cover during monsoon slows down the supply.

“During monsoon, we have to depend on the chua as the solar system charges only slowly. Nevertheless, solar adoption has made life easier for women. They can now devote more time to fuelwood collection,” says Sudru Poyam, a paddy farmer, who says the community has to clean the twin tanks every month.

Back at Gudiya, Dasmi’s neighbour Deoli Nag insists on proper maintenance. “What if some glitch happens and water does not come? The technical people live far away. In case of a problem, we should not be left without water, for say a fortnight.”

When Pramila Maurya came to Nayapara hamlet of Raikot village after her marriage in 2007, she had to deal with the absence of power and tap water for years. “As the hand pump yielded iron-contaminated water, all women in my family went to the talab (pond). Individual tap connections started only in June this year.”

Now, life is more comfortable for Maurya, the wife of a government school teacher. “I spend time watching TV serials and talking to my devranis (sisters-in-law) under the shade of a tamarind tree. We pass time comfortably with no tension over water availability.”

“Earlier going to the talab entailed putting the children to sleep, but they invariably woke up, sometimes before we even started… When the village got electricity, I insisted on a personal borewell. However, the power bill ran quite high. Now I intend to use it for watering my vegetables in winter.”

As November is the month of paddy harvest, work has been stalled in some areas. According to contractor SR Markandi, people are not at home all day long. “But we have to consult them on matters like pipe-laying and standpost erection, all of which are getting delayed.”

Source: PTI

The Kingdom of Bahrain has received seven bids in a tender seeking contractors to install at least 72 MW of grid-connected solar power generating capacity across multiple premises in Sakhir.

Only five of the offers have been accepted by the Ministry of Electricity and Water Affairs (EWA), business news provider Zawya reports, citing a Bahrain Tender Board notice.

Through the solicitation, Bahrain aims to deploy photovoltaic (PV) panels on both rooftops and land, car park shades and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for the Bahrain International Circuit, University of Bahrain, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority and Al Dana Amphitheatre. The project will be realised on a build-own-operate-maintain (BOOM) basis under a 20-year contract.

According to the report, bids were accepted by Alpha Energy Generations, DEFT Contractors, Tarsheed Energy Consultation and Services, Yellow Door Energy and Safeer For Renewable Energy. The unsuccessful applications were filed by Oak Energy and Infrastructure Solutions and Green Innova Trading.

The tender was launched last August and ran through October 16, 2022. Supposedly, the project will be awarded in the first quarter of this year.

Bahrain has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2060.

Source: renewablesnow

Petition seeking approval for the procurement of 600 MW solar power from (SECI) under ISTS connected solar Tranche -VIII scheme.

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MSEDCL Issue Tender for Supply of 450 MW (AC) SOLAR POWER FROM PROJECTS TO BE DEVELOPED IN Maharashtra.

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Eastern Railway issue tender for Supply OF ON GRID SOLAR PLANT OF TOTAL CAPACITY 225 KWp THROUGH SOLAR POWER DEVELOPER UNDER PPP MODEL PHASE-II

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Automotive component supplier Mahindra CIE Automotive Ltd on Monday said that it has invested ₹24.26 million in Strongsun Solar Private Limited.

The company has subscribed to 303,250 equity shares of of Strongsun Solar Private Limited. Mahindra CIE Automotive after the allotment of shares subscribed will hold 27.35 per cent of the post issue paid-up capital of Strongsun.

“The Company today i.e., 12th December, 2022 has invested INR 24.26 Million towards subscription of 3,03,250 equity shares of INR 10/- each of Strongsun Solar Private Limited (“Strongsun”) which will constitute 27.35% of the post-issue paid-up capital of Strongsun,” said the company in its corporate filing.

Strongsun is setting up two captive generating plants of the capacity of 7 MWp and 3 MWp to supply captive solar power from these plants to Mahindra CIE Automotive foundry division at urse (7 MWp) and magnetics products division at Bhosari (3 MWp) respectively.

“In order to qualify as a captive consumer, the Company must hold atleast 26% of the total equity capital of the Power Generating Plant(s),” the company added in its corporate filing.

The shares will be allotted on or before 5th January, 2023 and the company’s total investment in Strongsun is expected to be completed by April, 2023.

Mahindra CIE Automotive Ltd’s September quarter (Q3CY22) results showed that while the India business performed well and saw sequential revenue growth of 11.7%, revenues from the European operations dropped 9%. The company follows a January-to-December accounting year.

The India business benefitted from recovery in passenger vehicle (PV) and two-wheeler production volumes. Also, the quarter saw increase in realisations led by raw-material cost pass through. Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) margin inched up 10 basis points (bps) sequentially to 15%. One basis point is 0.01%.

The company’s scrip ended 0.49 per cent up at ₹286.60 on BSE.

Source: livemint

MSEDCL Issue Tender for Supply of 300 MW (AC) SOLAR POWER FROM DECENTRALISED SOLAR PROJECTS OF MINIMUM 0.5 MW TO MAXIMUM 2 MW CAPACITY UNDER COMPONENT-A OF PM KUSUM SCHEME.

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Athens : Facing soaring electricity and natural gas bills, Greek companies and households are turning to solar power en masse this year to cope with the ongoing energy crisis. With more than 250 days of sunshine per year, Greece is rich in renewable solar energy potential.

According to a recent report by the Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies (HELAPCO), the output of the new photovoltaic projects that are interconnected with the grid rose by 59 per cent from 838 MWh (megawatt hours) in 2021 to an estimated 1,340 MWh by the end of 2022, reports Xinhua news agency.

The total of interconnected photovoltaic installations in operation in Greece now reaches 5,466 MWh.

In Greece’s energy transition, medium-sized photovoltaic investors (10-1,000 kW projects) represent 71 per cent of the total market, large projects (over 1MW) 22 per cent and small investors 7 per cent.

Stergiou Family S.A., one of the largest producers and distributors of confectionery and bakery products in Greece, took the plunge this summer.

The company installed a Chinese-made 250-1,000 kW photovoltaic system, interconnected with the grid, on the rooftop of their factory at their headquarters in Acharnes, an Athens suburb.

“Solar panel installation with the principle of net metering enables us to utilize 100 percent of the power generated by the panels,” George Delis, factory manager, told Xinhua.

“Our factory covers up to 30 per cent of its daily energy needs through the panels. On idle days, like Sundays or national holidays, the energy produced can be fed back to the public grid,” he said.

By switching to photovoltaics, Delis said the company could reduce not only its operating costs but also its carbon footprint amid the intense energy crisis.

The Greek government is scheduled to unveil a series of subsidy programs in the coming months to support the public’s shift to rooftop photovoltaic panels, the Energy and Environment Ministry said recently.

A 200-million-euro ($207 million) program is to be launched in early 2023, which will subsidize 10 kW rooftop solar panels combined with power storage (batteries) up to 60 per cent.

Those who choose to install photovoltaic systems without batteries will receive smaller subsidies (around 30 per cent), the Ministry said.

Thirty per cent of the program is planned to concern farmers (about 70,000 beneficiaries), 30 per cent small and medium-sized businesses and 40 per cent (some 100,000) households, according to Energy and Environment Minister Kostas Skrekas.

The Ministry has also announced two other subsidy programs, one to promote self-generation by businesses and another to help energy communities support vulnerable consumers.

Skrekas said that demand is expected to be high, as businesses and households are looking for ways to reduce their energy costs.

Source: PTI

Petition for seeking approval for procurement 300 MW Solar Power from Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) from proposed ISTS connected Solar PV Power Plants.

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Japanese utility Jera Co Inc announced this week it has developed and begun operating a highly accurate system for predicting solar power generation.

The tool was created in partnership with compatriot Japan Data Science Consortium Co Ltd (TYO:4418), also known as JDSC. It uses weather forecast data and past power generation performance to provide accurate predictions of the amount of electricity generated by solar power and help balance electricity supply and demand.

The system commenced operations at the same time Jera switched on its solar power generation facilities. With a serverless configuration and a high automation level, the new apparatus significantly reduces the operational load.

Jera and JDSC plan to further improve the prediction accuracy by using the latter’s know-how in advanced machine learning to analyse the data gathered regarding the amount of electricity generated.

At present, the Japanese utility is working on renewable energy projects with the goal of surpassing its 5 GW renewable energy development target in 2025.

Source: renewablesnow

New power plant to reduce Indore’s monthly electricity expenditure by almost 4 crores

The Municipal Corporation, which has kept Indore at the first place in the country for seven years in cleanliness, is going to make set to undertake another game changing innovation. IMC is now contemplating on issuing Green Bonds in Indore to raise funds for a mega solar power plant project mooted to reduce monthly power consumption. First of its kind, the said bonds will be available to the common public for investment at the cost of ₹10,000. Know all about the solar plant and it will reduce cost here.

Green bonds to help commission a 60 MW solar plant in Jalood

IMC is planning to set up a 60 MW solar power plant in Jalood at a cost of ₹286 crore generated from the green bonds issued. Currently, almost 500 MLD of water is transported to Indore from the Narmada Coast after covering a distance of 70 KMS. And the electricity used for this process is costly since the water quantity is high. IMC has to pay ₹10-15 crore per month towards electricity bill to deliver water to Indore, however, new power plant will expectedly reduce Indore’s monthly electricity expenditure by almost 4 crores.

The plant would work on a net metering system wherein produced energy would directly go to the grid and be adjusted in final billing. IMC has already floated tenders to install a solar plant at Jalood pumping station.

How can you be a part of this initiative

IMC will be the first urban body in the country to issue green bonds for any project and you can be apart of this initiative by simply buying a bond priced at ₹10,000. The IMC is expecting to raise upto ₹250 crore from the green bond venture.

Further, the Green Bonds will be soon listed on National Stock Exchange of India and Bombay Stock Exchange. As per officials, the corporation is expected to receive permission from the Securities Exchange Board by December.

Source: PTI

HYDERABAD: A unique pilot study on ‘Agri Photovoltaic System,’ which is simultaneous use of land for solar energy generation and agricultural crop production has been taken up at the Prof Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) here.

Availability of land is becoming an issue in view of growing urbanisation and construction activity, and the ‘Agri Photovoltaic System’ would ensure both solar power generation and also cultivation of crops, said Dr Avil Kumar Kodari, Director of Water Technology Centre at PJTSAU.

Agricultural land would be lost with the installation of conventional solar energy plants which shade the ground making cultivation of crops difficult. Coupled with this, the ever-increasing construction activity is resulting in reduced availability of land, he noted. The solution lies in the ‘Agri Photovoltaic System’ in which crops can be cultivated underneath the solar panels. The system would yield two benefits — solar power generation and also crop cultivation.

Crops like carrot, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli have been selected for the study.

There is a possibility of crop failures in rainfed cultivation due to frequent droughts and the solar energy generation would be an assured income to the farmers with the expansion of ‘agri photovoltaic system’ (under such drought conditions).

Observing that there could be a reduction in electricity generation from the solar panel if its temperature increases, he said cultivation of crops underneath the solar panel can have a cooling effect on the panel due to evapotranspiration (water lost from soil and plants). Because of evaporation and transpiration, the solar panels will get a cooling effect thereby improving the efficiency of solar panels, Kumar told PTI.

In some cases, crop yield increases due to the shade of the solar panels, mitigating some of the stress on plants caused by high temperatures and ultraviolet rays (UV) damage. Water requirement would be less in the photovoltaic system as evapotranspiration will be reduced due to the shade to the crops. He also said “shade tolerant” crops (requiring less light) have to be grown underneath the panels. Vegetable crops require less light compared to crops like maize, rice, cotton which need more light to get the yield.

The pilot study, undertaken in association with a Bengaluru-based solar startup, would take a couple of years for completion before the technology reaches the farmers. It began a couple of days ago at the university.

Source: PTI