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Webinar: Solar tariff of INR 2.00 arrived sooner than expected

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BRIDGE TO INDIA’s latest webinar attempted to make sense of recent record low solar tariffs observed in SECI’s Rajasthan 1,070 MW and GUVNL’s 500 MW tenders. Panellists included Mr. Sanjay Varghese (President & Head – Solar, ReNew), Mr. Sanjay Kumar (Head BD & Proposals, Larsen & Toubro), Mr. Andrew Gilhooly (Head – Trina Pro, Trina solar – APAC), Mr. Lim Cheong Boon (Head – Product & Marketing, Trina solar – APAC), Mr. Honey Raza (Head – Sales, Ginlong Solis) and Ms. Zia Nariman (Senior Investment Officer, International Finance Corporation).

The discussion was kicked off by ReNew’s Sanjay Varghese, who attributed unprecedented low bids to a number of factors including market slowdown in the months leading up to the two auctions, influx of major capital in the market, falling cost of capital, aggressive bids by PSUs as well as optimistic assumptions – related to use of new technologies and equipment prices – made by some developers. He argued that offtake certainty and availability of transmission infrastructure also increased appetite in the two tenders.

Trina Solar’s Lim Cheong Boon noted that bifacial modules provide up to 25% additional power output with trackers and an overall 5-10% reduction in LCOE in comparison with monofacial modules. Boon also highlighted other benefits of larger and more efficient modules leading to faster installation times and savings in BOS costs. Meanwhile, Andrew Gilhooly acknowledged that trackers have not been historically popular in India but “things have started to pivot rapidly now.” As per him, intelligent tracker algorithms help maximise power output yield particularly for bifacial modules across different terrain and soil types. Solis’ Honey Raza also pointed towards multiple changes in inverter technology with rapid innovations and optimisation for new module sizes and bifacial products. According to Raza, these innovations have led to improved reliability, reduced equipment failure, operational and logistical issues, labour costs etc. String inverters already occupy about 60% market share, which seems set to rise in the near future.

Notwithstanding various technology advancements, most panellists also emphasised high risk arising from soaring equipment prices, steel and aluminium prices, freight rates etc. L&T’s Sanjay Kumar said that in the past, faced with unviable projects, developers have tended to put pressure on suppliers and contractors, and compromised on project quality in the process. But there was also a sense that with the industry gaining more experience and increasing presence of credible players, there is an increased awareness in the sector for superior operational performance and higher longevity of assets.  

IFC’s Zia Nariman commented that financing terms have been softening over the past few years. Interest rates have fallen to 8.5-9.0% for greenfield projects in comparison to over 11.0% just over two years earlier. Refinancing in operational phase can further bring down cost by another 50 bp or more. IFC is currently looking at sanctioning funds for projects with tariffs ranging between INR 2.37 and 2.43/ kWh. She expressed confidence that as IFC works with the most experienced and credible developers, their clients would able to absorb any project specific risks as part of their overall portfolios.

Overall, the panel maintained that bids in these tenders were unexpectedly aggressive and below optimal levels by about 10-12%. Given the rapid fall in costs, falling tariffs are entirely natural but the pace of decline is expected to fall in future. For more insights on the topic, watch the full webinar recording here.

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Impressions from an international module conference

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I attended one of the world’s leading solar module industry events – PV ModuleTech in Penang, Malaysia – this week. There were about 200 participants from across the world including mainly all leading module manufacturers, various testing agencies and independent engineers. There were also a few project developers and investors such as Brookfield, Shell, 8minuteenergy, Clara and Mahindra.

The event was mainly technology-focused with most discussions ranging around prospects of new technologies – n-type, PERC, half-cut cells, IBC, HJT, multi-busbars, frameless, glass-glass. Growing scale and rising cost pressures are forcing rapid improvements in the technology landscape, which is getting further compounded by multiple module form factors, an innovation leap in materials – back-sheets, adhesives, polymers – and multiple design considerations. There has been a common perception in India that solar industry is highly commoditized with multi-crystalline modules accounting for over 98% market share. But these modules are turning obsolete – worldwide share has already fallen from over 70% in 2015 to less than 50% now. As for the developers, there seemed to be a feeling that their job is becoming difficult in trying to evaluate different technologies and picking the right one. Some developers mentioned that they have to run as many as 30 different project design combinations before settling on a final plan.

Another theme that came up in many discussions was that quality and reliability of modules has been a frequent problem across the world. Within just 5-7 years of operations, developers are having to replace faulty modules (delamination, higher degradation, cracks) and retrofitting of many solar plants is going to become unavoidable in the coming years. Independent engineers play a critical role in this regard by testing and certifying all key aspects of project design.

With India becoming one of the top three international markets, it seems high on the priority list for most module makers. India came up frequently in various sessions and the recurrent theme unsurprisingly was the Indian developers’ unremitting focus on price. There were suggestions that Indian developers don’t care about quality. While that is too broad a statement, the underlying message is clear – poor quality is going to pose a formidable challenge for Indian developers, investors as well as policy makers. The fact that Indian lenders, particularly public sector banks and FIs, typically have lax technical oversight standards does not help this situation.

It was heartening to see SECI attending the event and trying to get a grasp of new technologies. Participation from India also included some module makers (Adani, Jakson, Vikram, Waaree) and Mahindra but disappointingly, most major developers were absent.

Future of manufacturing in India? It remains bleak in our view. I did not note any serious interest by Indian or international manufacturer to set up high-volume integrated facilities. Most likely, Indian participation would continue to be restricted to downstream assembly. Even if trade barriers and other policy measures are successful in bringing some new investments in manufacturing, India would remain reliant on international technology expertise for years to come.

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India’s First Rate Performance at the Hannover Fair

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This week, Germany was steeped in Indian colors. At the Hannover Fair, India made excellent use of the opportunity of being the official partner country and present itself favorably to a global business community.

India’s presentation at the fair was cool and exciting

Modi finds the right language and understands investor concerns

The international business community is ready to move, but expects more policy measures

India was all the buzz in Germany: at the airport and at the train station in Berlin, I was greeted by bright “Make in India” posters. As I drove up to the Hannover Fair – the world’s largest industrial fair to which India was this year’s official partner country – there were bright flags and imposing towers and more posters highlighting various aspects of India’s economy. Investors are invited to join in the big India story in friendly, optimistic, and exciting designs.

The most inspiring stall at the fair was the official “Make in India” stall: It was a very cool, colourful, open showcase of India’s plans and capabilities in sectors like automotive. energy, urbanization, defence, or chemicals. The stall was flanked by many more, smaller stalls from companies and individual Indian states with their own investment slogans. The well-known “Vibrant Gujarat”, was joined by “Emerging Himachal” or the more low key “Credible Chattisgarh”. Very senior bureaucrats from the states were out there, engaging at ease with anyone interested. There were Indian businessmen and a few women all around. Some of the German companies even dressed up their rather teutonic looking staff in turbans and sarees in a nod to the partner country.

Prime Minister Modi and German Chancellor Merkel gave talks – in english – on the opportunity that India presents for the world. Modi was cheered like a rockstar by hundreds of mostly Indian visitors as he left the conference hall. There was a palpable sense of optimism around him.

As far as communication and marketing go – both very important tasks for investment promotion – this was a first rate performance. This matters, because the execution excellence gives the “India” brand a credibility that it previously lacked and draws serious interest.

The general mood amongst the international business community was one of cautious optimism: there is a recognition that the government is working on key legislative reforms (land, tax, electricity) and that it is very responsive to investors. Many businessmen appreciate these efforts, and the fact that Modi’s government is talking the right language.

In the CEO round of the Indo-German Business Summit, which followed Modi’s and Merkel’s statements, it became clear that the reality of doing business in India has not yet caught up with the visions and ideas. Joe Kaeser, the slightly quirky CEO of Siemens said that they look to the implementation: “From ‘Make in India’ to ‘Make it happen in India’, one step at a time”. Cyrus Mistry, the Tata CEO, concurred. My discussions with Indian and international businessmen at the fair were mostly in tune: the outlook is positive, but there has not yet been a discernible uptick in on-ground business results.

The Indian government seems to recognize that. It wants to encourage more transparency and competition amongst Indian states by asking them to regularly publish a scorecard on the “ease of doing business” along 100+ criteria. That sounds like a good idea (and one the EU or even Germany would do well to copy).

Overall, India’s presentation at the fair was an excellent sales pitch. And that, after all, is the main purpose of fairs. If delivery now follows, there is a real chance for a step-change in Indian growth and development.

Tobias Engelmeier is the Founder and Director of BRIDGE TO INDIA

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MNRE and industry discuss scaling up of rooftop solar market to 40 GW by 2022

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On Thursday last week (19th March 2015), the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) called for a meeting to discuss how to best scale up rooftop installations in India to 40 GW (cumulative) by 2022 (refer). It was chaired by Upendra Tripathi, Secretary MNRE, and Tarun Kapoor, Joint Secretary MNRE, and was attended by approx. 300 representatives from the industry. The discussion began on the somber note that despite some existing government policies and the improving economic fundamentals for rooftop solar, the market has not yet gained momentum.

Stakeholders proposed abolition of subsidies for urban grid-connected solar installations

Most stakeholders proposed for standardization guidelines for components, installations and grid-interconnectivity to be followed by all installers

Availability of finance and cost of finance was the third topic discussed

Most installers pointed out (and ministry officials conceded) that the lack of funds and sanction delays associated with the subsidy process has been the primary bottleneck for the market segment. The ministry officials informed that, for 358 MW of subsidy applications received till date only 42 MW actually received it. BRIDGE TO INDIA had previously raised the issue in our analysis with the conclusion that the subsidy mechanism does more harm than good for the market (refer link 1link 2 and link 3). To close the gap between demand for subsidy and available funds, the government had recently proposed to reduce the subsidy amount to 15% of the capital cost so that more solar can be supported with available funds. Most stakeholders in the meeting, however, preferred that the subsidy mechanism be scrapped altogether for urban grid-connected solar installations. The ministry officials did not spell out their conclusion.

Another topic of discussion was ensuring the quality of new installations and the role of channel partners. Most stakeholders were of the opinion that the process for becoming a channel partner was costly and time consuming, especially in the context of unavailability of subsidy funds. While some stakeholders thought that the channel partner route helped ensure quality, most others proposed that instead of the channel partner mechanism, there should just be standardization guidelines for components, installations and grid-interconnectivity that should be followed by all installers. The ministry officials noted the stakeholder suggestions but again did not spell out their conclusions on the subject.

Availability of finance and cost of finance was the third topic discussed. The ministry officials presented the steps taken by the ministry to bring Indian banks on board to provide more finance (refer) and how international multilateral financing institutions can help reduce the cost of finance (refer).

On the whole, no out-of-the-box suggestions came up from either the industry or the ministry. This is what makes realizing the 40 GW target for rooftop solar such a daunting task. BRIDGE TO INDIA believes that direct government incentives can only go so far, especially in light of the limited availability of funds to the sector. The primary objective of the government should be to create a functioning market place, get states and utilities on board and provide a level playing field to the industry. Net-metering/banking of power with fair compensation to utilities, non-discriminatory quality standards, active collaboration with states and education of end-customers on standards and benefits of solar installations are some of the larger non-incentive ideas that the MNRE could focus on. An opening up of the REC market to more buyers and sellers, as Mr. Abraham of Arise Solar has suggested in an email to us could also help. On the fiscal incentive side, based on BRIDGE TO INDIA’s analysis, interest rate subvention seems to hold the most promise from both the perspective of cost to government and ease of implementation (refer).

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How to make money in the Indian solar market

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India has 3+ GW of solar installed. On the basis of that, in the last years, the country has built a broad ecosystem of manufacturers, installers, project developers and financiers. This sounds like a healthy launch pad for a big jump in capacity addition (perhaps even to an incredible 100 GW) – but it isn’t. Very few players in the market so far have made a good return. A common concern in the industry is the unavailability of finance. The government is focusing on solving that. However, finance follows returns (and low risk, but that is no longer the main concern). As soon as returns are attractive, there will be plenty of finance for the industry.

Most solar players are not earning reasonable returns from their solar business in India

A “strategic” rationale for investing into the solar industry has some merit, but cannot sustain the market

If India is serious about building a 100 GW (or even a 10 GW) market, it needs to offer solid returns from solar projects

Over the last years, the Indian solar market has been dominated by a host of mostly domestic players in manufacturing, installation and investment. Initially, the market was mostly populated by what we called ‘cowboys’ – businesses hoping for low hanging fruits and quick wins, no matter in what industry. Now, many cowboys have exited the market (most of them disappointed) in favor of more strategic, Indian players. Many of India’s leading business houses, such as Reliance, Tata Power (not to be confused with Tata Power Solar, the EPC arm) or Birla, that have long been standing on the sidelines, are now jumping into the fray. With few exceptions (the developer and EPC Sun Edison and inverter manufacturers being the most notable), international players and investors have been notably absent. Why? The reason is that the market does not yet offer sufficiently attractive returns.

Solar capacity addition in India has been stagnant at around 1 GW per annum for the last three years. Competition is intense. Planned equity returns at the project level hover between 13-16%. At a debt cost of 12-13%, this is too little. Driven by low project-level returns, it is very difficult for anyone in the preceding value chain (installers, manufacturers) to earn money on Indian projects. Prices are pushed lower and lower (India has seen some of the most competitive solar tariffs). Execution quality often suffers. As a result, many plants generate less than expected and returns are lower than planned for.

So, if returns are low, why is competition so intense? Of course, there is number of “irrational” or simply ill-informed players and there is a tendency to by over optimistic about plant performance. Leaving that aside, there seem to be four different strategies currently driving the market.

 1. Strategic entry

Some players wish to build a solar business, because they understand the magnitude of the long-term opportunity and believe that building a position in the market now helps them capture a larger share of the pie later. They might understand that returns, whether in manufacturing, installation or plant ownership, are not yet attractive, but are ready to take a hit now as they believe in some version of an early-mover advantage. Such an advantage may be in building a track record and brand to help in future pitches, in gathering experience and on-ground data or in building a team. There is a certain first mover advantage, especially for new entrants and less well-known companies. However, it is limited and a couple of projects might suffice. It will not drive the market.

2. Solar as a means to earn non-solar revenues

Some companies may not be interested in the revenue from the solar business at all, but may instead look at earning money in various other ways, related to the solar business. This could be: getting access to subsidies, getting access to land, or making use of accounting and taxation benefits and opportunities. Investing into solar is also a way to curry favor with political decision-makers (solar is a political buzzword). This can be used for other business ventures.

3. Taking a bet on the future

Another possible strategy is to take a bet on the future. A project, for example, might only yield an equity return of 14% today. However, there may be ways of increasing this in the future. Perhaps lending costs will fall, making it possible to refinance the project? Perhaps grid tariffs will rise much more and PPAs will not have to be honored (contractual security in India is weak), opening up a new route to selling power for a higher price to a new off-taker in the future? Perhaps carbon will be priced in some way in the future, opening up an additional revenue stream? Perhaps the dormant REC market in India will be revived? Perhaps modules will become so cheap and efficient in a couple of years so as to make re-powering of plants a viable option? Perhaps, if returns are not sufficient now, political influence can change parameters to make them sufficient in some way later on? Given that India is a very dynamic economic and energy landscape, such bets on the future are, perhaps, more reasonable than in more settled environments, such as the US or Germany. There are, of course, the inverse risks, too: There might be retroactive charges for grid-utilization or PPAs might not be honored by if they can buy solar for half the price some years down the line.

 4. Valuation game

A solar player might hope that in the future, because of the vast long-term potential of solar in India, an investor will be willing to pay a premium for a solar business or for a bundle of solar projects. This premium might be sought through a strategic sale, through a sale to a financial investor or (most commonly) through an IPO. Whether or not a valuation which exceeds the business fundamentals (in the case of projects, the average returns of the projects) is justified, depends on whether the factors in points (1.) to (3.) are considered valid. In general there seems to be a widespread hope that investors’ enthusiasm will be high.

 What is common to all the above strategies is, that they are not based on the simple, core business of generating and selling solar power at an attractive rate of return (above 16% EIRR).

 The government has marked out the lack of finance (primarily debt) as a key bottleneck in the industry. It is true that there is not enough debt. However, this is a symptom not the cause. The cause is the low profitability of the solar industry. Once that is achieved, debt and equity (including international investment), will follow. To move from the current 3 GW to 100 GW will crucially depend on that. How can solar become profitable? Moving from the current reverse bidding process to a clear, feed-in tariff based process (solar costs are now well known and quite stable) would help; as would a move from the many different allocation processes to a standardized framework across the country.

Tobias Engelmeier is the Founder and Director of BRIDGE TO INDIA

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Much fanfare and interest, but few specifics at RE INVEST

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On Sunday (15th February 2015), India’s first government organised renewable energy investment summit got underway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, in the presence of Indian and global industry stakeholders. Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Piyush Goyal, called it a ‘historic day’ that will pave the way for making India the ‘renewable energy capital of the world’ and the Prime Minister related the ambitions to energy access for all (see Prime Minister’s address here). The country aims for 100 GW of solar, 70 GW of wind and significant additions of small hydro and biomass power.

Solar think tanks presented several valuable ideas and suggestions at the REINVEST 2015

Andhra Pradesh announced a concrete policy on the first day, a target of 10,000 MW of renewables by March 2019

Industry stakeholders opined that 100 GW is a desirable and feasible target but very ambitious and will require a step change in policy commitment

The panels and speeches discussed, in broad terms, the business fundamentals needed for a functioning market place. The main topics were: how to lower the cost of finance, investment commitments in projects and manufacturing and how to bring the states on board for a smooth center-state coordination. During the conference sessions, several valuable ideas and suggestions were presented by the panelists. You may want to follow these updates from twitter handles such as @RE_Invest2015 and @MNREIndia and the hash tag #REInvest2015.

The Prime Minister collected vague, GW-sized, public commitments from states, public and private sector companies. This might sound anachronistic, but we would not be surprised, if the PMO actively follows up on those in the coming years.

Those attendees who were expecting the government to announce specific, new policies and a road map for the industry to reach the ambitious targets, were disappointed. The only concrete policy announcement on the first day came from Andhra Pradesh, which announced a target of 10,000 MW of renewables by March 2019 (refer). The state chief minister, Chandrababu Naidu subsequently interacted with the investors.

BRIDGE TO INDIA met several industry stakeholders to get an industry pulse and their thoughts on the 100 GW target for solar. Most stakeholders thought that it is a desirable and feasible target but very ambitious and will require a step change in policy commitment. One panelist described the situation very well, when he said: “India needs to act quickly to retain the mind space it has attracted.” Similar interest was created in the Saudi Arabia and Mexico markets but because of lack of tangible progress, they lost that mind space. The same should not happen in India. Even though it is difficult, we hope that a step change in government action will follow all the enthusiasm, attention and investment willingness that has been seen at the event.

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Default over Design: How India will really grow its solar industry

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Can India achieve 100 GW of solar in five years? Technically: yes – if politicians are willing to put enough support behind it. Realistically: not likely – there is still no strategy in place for achieving this number. Does that matter? No. As solar becomes ever more viable and India’s energy demand rises rapidly, the mountain will come to the prophet. However, it will be a market by default, not by design. My conversations at REINVEST suggest that most players are aware of that and are willing to use the positive mood created by the government and the event to drive their different business models.

The grid-connected market will be driven by public sector companies; project returns are ok, but unexciting.

The distributed and “solar as a solution” market is still too small for most larger players and investors, but holds the greatest promise.

In the past, faulty market designs (REC, rooftop subsidy) have been counterproductive and stopped the default markets from taking off. This has to be avoided.

I had many very interesting conversations at REINVEST in Delhi over the last three days. It was clear that there is a sense of optimism in the market. Great optimism from afar, and more cautious optimism, the closer you got to the details. But still: there is an air of possibility that has been lacking for the last years. One immediate achievement of the government’s drum-beating was that there was a new set of players around: large Indian business houses and international investors who now see a chance for projects big enough to warrant their time and efforts. Also, Indian manufacturers have not been so happy in a long time. They can expect sizable and stable orders from public sector companies in the coming years. Another visible change was the presence and active involvement of financial institutions. They finally seem keen to actively develop this market. A fourth positive momentum was provided by the Andhra Pradesh government around Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu who was beleaguered by developers ready to invest in solar in his state.

Does all this add up anywhere near to the governments 100 GW target? No. There were commitments given by Indian private sector companies to develop 166 GWs of solar, but they have no legal basis and hardly reflect more than a broad, general, and in some cases quite unfounded ambition. At the same time, the big question of: who will be the bankable buyer of these large amounts of solar, remains unanswered. India today is a 1 GW a year solar market. Under the current policy design, it could grow to become a 3 GW a year market in the next three years. That would make it larger than the German market and most existing players would be quite happy.

But take a moment to look at this from another perspective, the perspective of what is needed. Even 100 GW of solar would only provide around 10% of the power India will likely need in five years. The country’s power demand is enormous – and it will grow even faster, if a much-needed process of industrial growth can be triggered. And how will that power be provided? Today, coal is the backbone of India’s energy system. Due to changing economics, environmental concerns and infrastructural bottlenecks, solar has the potential to become that backbone in 10 years time. That would then require much more than 100 GW. It would also require grid management skills, storage and demand management – but that should be feasible by then. A lot of it (as the government already proposes) would be distributed, where power is consumed near to its point of generation.

Such a market would start as a default market. For more and more energy-starved customers, solar will offer the best solutions. While these markets (private PPAs, mostly captive, for industries or telecom towers or appliances) are still small, they will scale up as tariffs rise, as consumer awareness and confidence grow and as sales and maintenance channels become established. They can offer companies a chance to innovate, excel and drive customer value, and by extension provide investors with more attractive returns.

In the meantime, it is important that policy design focus on enabling the market. Net-metering helps a lot, but has to be implemented well. Higher duties on diesel will become very effective when oil prices will rise again. An environmental tax on fossil fuels like the coal cess is good. Feed-in tariffs, capital subsidies or RECs are not really needed and, if not reliably paid out, are counterproductive. The energy access market will arguably need some support to reduce the share of energy spending in the budgets of poor households. Many of the industry stakeholders I spoke to, left aside the government targets and got on with the business of creating value for their customers and a sustainable business model to service India’s long-term energy needs. That, to me, was the best news at the conference.

 Tobias Engelmeier is the Founder and Director of BRIDGE TO INDIA

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Interactive design course on On-Grid PV Systems by GSES

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The participants of the training were a mix of a retired homeowner, an entrepreneur, an investment banker and a former political consultant and many others from this field of work, all these people got together for one purpose – a desire to gain strong technical capabilities to design grid-connected solar systems and update themselves on the latest MNRE schemes. The training was fairly straightforward, easy to grasp, and did not require any advance engineering knowledge. With an energetic and interactive group of 12 students and an equally patient and knowledgeable pair of trainers, the stage was set for an enlightening and refreshing 3-day course.

Training featured a diverse group of professionals and consumers

The program covered latest policies and a solar technology overview (cells, modules, inverters, protection devices, cabling, and actual designing)

Industry insiders ensured a comprehensive 360° view of the market

The training started off with a basic overview of India’s solar energy policy through one of the guest speakers – Dr Bibek Bandyopadhyay, the former director of MNRE – and then jumped into the business models currently prevalent in the country. Our lively discussions followed the topics into the technical aspects of the training session with frequent stopovers to debate on-ground realities. The tools of the trade, such as the very simple, but highly useful “Solar Pathfinder”, helped us understand the basic concepts of system design as we delved deeper.

Both GSES trainers – Dwipen Boruah and Sishir Goel – covered all aspects of an on-grid solar design, from standards, design calculations, factors that affect module performance, to inverter details, rooftop mounting systems, cabling and protection devices. Despite the large volume of information presented to us in a short span of time, GSES ensured that it was easy to absorb and retain. The sessions taught us how to actually design an on-grid system and tested our learning through various exercises. Trainers ensured that the group focused on designing a high quality system instead of reckless cost-cutting mechanisms that unfortunately haunt the Indian construction market. Industry speaker Rajesh Kulkarni, GM Marketing for Hensel, stressed the critical need for proper protection (both AC & DC) on PV systems, while Chetan Vyas, a fellow attendee, introduced the group to micro-inverters.

The training ended on the 3rd day, with a lesson-cementing site visit to a 930kWp rooftop grid connected solar PV system at Indira Paryavaran Bhavan. It was a good example of large scale grid connected rooftop systems that featured all the safety guidelines and design concepts we had learnt over the past two days. Overall, I found the training a great experience.

Their next program is on ‘Solar PV best practices’ and would be held from 11-13 August. Click here for more details.

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Training program on ‘Standalone Solar Power Supply Systems’ by GSES

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I attended the GSES training programme on Standalone power supply systems in Delhi last week. The five-day training program was focused on technical and operational aspects of off-grid solar PV projects with a guided site visit to a standalone solar plant to give participants an informative tour of a typical PV with batteries installation.

Participants included system integrators, MNRE channel partners and other key solar industry professionals.

Participants were trained to use NREL design tool ‘Homer’ and optimize various system design parameters as per site requirements.

Participants were also taught the solar water pump design and installation process

The workshop covered a wide range of topics including battery and inverter sizing, load assessment, system protection, yield estimation etc. The workshop attracted a varying range of participants from solar home system integrators to MNRE channel partners. The diversity of attendees generated a healthy debate while allowing individuals to share their practical insights on the solar PV space in India.

Apart from Mr. Dwipen Boruah, a renewable energy professional with over 20 years of experience in renewable technologies, the panel of instructors comprised several guest lecturers from the industry including Mr. Manoj Pandey (St-con power controls), Dr. Indradip Mitra (GIZ) and Mr. Dharmesh Patel (Sr. Manager, Rotomag Motors), who shared their experience and expertise on relevant topics.

For complete session photo highlights, visit http://www.gses.in/training/sarps

Vinay Rustagi is the Managing Director at BRIDGE TO INDIA

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A unique learning experience at the GSES Solar PV workshop

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Global Sustainable Energy Solutions (‘GSES’) – a leading Australian firm engaged in providing training and resources for solar PV- held its first workshop in Delhi in the first week of March. The four day workshop was focused on technical and operational aspects of solar PV projects with a guided site visit to a solar plant to give participants an informative tour of a typical PV installation.

Participants included project developers and EPC companies

The workshop covered a wide range of topics including grid connected PV systems, system optimization, quality control and performance indicators

Participants were trained to use PVsyst using solar radiation data

The workshop, attracted a varying range of participants from solar project developers and EPC companies. The diversity of attendees generated a healthy debate while allowing individuals to share their practical insights on the solar PV space in India.

The panels of instructors comprised of leading industry experts, including Mr. Dwipen Boruah, a renewable energy professional with over 20 years of experience in solar PV, solar thermal, micro hydro, wind-solar hybrid systems and biomass. The workshop covered a range of topics including various design and engineering aspects of grid connected PV systems, system optimization, quality control and performance indicators. Various factors affecting the performance of solar PV projects were looked at – with participants drawing on their experiences. Participants were also trained to use PVsyst using solar radiation data from different sources.

Topics covered also included areas such as mounting systems, balance of system equipment, and storage solutions. The workshop concluded with a solar plant visit to provide hands on experience of topics covered in the workshop.

The next solar PV workshop is scheduled to commence on the 22nd of April. As GSES says ‘Don’t be a fossil fool. Go solar today!’

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We’ll be at Intersolar Munich!

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BRIDGE TO INDIA is scheduled to exhibit at the world’s largest solar fair – the Intersolar Europeat Munich, Germany between June 13th – 15th 2012. At this fair, which invites more than 80,000 trade visitors, BRIDGE TO INDIA will introduce the INDIA SOLAR NAVIGATOR, the first comprehensive online tool to analyze and monitor the market.

At Intersolar Munich, we will talk about providing our Market Intelligence, Strategic Consulting and Project Development services to investors, companies and institutions who are looking to leverage the Indian solar opportunity.

Meet BRIDGE TO INDIA’s Senior Consultant, Mohit Anand, head of ‘Market Intelligence’. Market Intelligence at BRIDGE TO INDIA provides comprehensive, analytical and up-to-date research on the Indian market to customers through the INDIA SOLAR COMPASS – a quarterly solar market report. We provide in-depth and strategic market insight to large international clients who are looking at the Indian market as part of their long term strategy. In addition, market intelligence at BRIDGE TO INDIA has authored various reports on contract basis for large international agencies including DENA, REN 21, GIZ and Greentech Media.  Meet Mohit to know more at the exhibition.

BRIDGE TO INDIA will be covering the exhibition live through all our social media channels. To track the biggest solar fair in the world, follow our Twitter feed (@BRIDGETOINDIA) or read the latest updates on this blog.

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The Indo-German Energy Forum: Bringing together natural partners

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BRIDGE TO INDIA attended the 3rd Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) on “Cities & Energy”, held on 2nd & 3rd May, 2012 at New Delhi, India.

The IGEF aims to facilitate conversation between German technology providers and the Indian government through a series of meetings

The topic of this meeting was “Solar & Cities” and looked at rooftop PV, solar thermal applications and financing

The IGEF succeeds in bringing together two natural partners that are now beginning to understand each other and ultimately put that trust and understanding in doing business together

May 3rd 2012: I have just attended the Indo-German Energy Forum in New Delhi, organized by Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Like all events of this nature, it was held in a vast, nondescript, air-conditioned hall in a hotel. Today’s session started with a very interesting discussion on solar thermal applications. It was chaired by Additional Secretary, MNRE, Mr. Tarun Kapoor (soon to head the Solar Energy Corporation of India). Topics discussed where solar cooling, hybrid-solar thermal applications for industrial process heat and the benefits of fresnel technology. The session was followed by an equally interesting one on financing options in the Indian solar market.

Over and above the content of the presentations and discussions, the Indo-German Energy Forum creates a genuinely valuable platform for the exchange of knowledge, information and ideas. On the one hand, there is the immense Indian market, its challenges, its complex web of policies and programs, and the many, pressing needs of power consumers. On the other are the deep and innovative German technology clusters which offer many relevant solutions and have years of experience in implementing sustainability and renewable energy technologies.

However, putting together a German academic with a strong, almost incomprehensible accent, elaborating on intricate details of a specific technology with an Indian government official outlining the various programs on offer in power point presentations of seemingly endless bullet-points, does not yet produce a solution. That this is just the beginning of a long road is understood by participants and organizers. Thus, the Indo-German Energy Forum is designed as an ongoing series of relevant encounters, in which two natural partners slowly learn to understand each other, build trust, share information and – ultimately – do business with each other. The Forum is flanked by working groups in which specific Indian energy challenges are worked on in detail, producing first, tangible results in India.

In the end, German companies will not be able to succeed in India by selling expensive components that were built in and for a developed, sustainability-conscious market. Also, they will not be able to add value with products that are simple and standardized, where they are not cost-competitive. Quality and life-cycle-costs are not strong arguments in a very cash-driven economy like India’s. German companies will need to put their minds to work on developing integrated solutions for India. High-tech will need to be combined with low-cost, locally available value components. Going into execution, taking entrepreneurial risks and providing financing ideas are essential. The key strength that German sustainability companies have, is their tradition and experience in systemic thinking. In order to apply that to India, they need to become very local in execution. The game, therefore, changes from India being a difficult market for German products to Indians becoming great partners to German companies in jointly creating value. The Indo-German Energy Forum can facilitate this, not so much in the cool underbelly of a five-star hotel, but in India’s smoldering hot cities and countryside.

BRIDGE TO INDIA supports GIZ in making the forum a success.

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Round-up of ISIT Day 1

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The India Solar Investment & Technology Summit Day 1 saw 15,000 people gather to view the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi ‘dedicate 600MW of solar power to the nation’ at the inauguration of the Charanka Solar Park near Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The event was held amidst political fanfare in the middle of a 2,699 acre arid wasteland at a remote part of Gujarat.

He handed out certificates to projects that were deemed to be commissioned under the Gujarat solar policy (More details available in the April 2012 edition of the India Solar Compass).

Our team was present and tweeting live (follow) from the solar park as it was  inaugurated. 

4 key highlights

At the inauguration of the Charanka solar park, Chief Minister Modi handed out commissioning certificates to projects worth 604.89MW under the Gujarat solar policy. The park is located in the Patan district in northern Gujarat.

Naoki Sakai, Senior Energy Specialist from the Asian Development Bank offered funding support of $500million to the Gujarat Government for research and development of solar, vocational training with the Pandit Deen Dayal Petroleum University and development of smart grids and a second solar park in the state.

Peter Haas, Consul General from the US Consulate at Mumbai, committed to clean energy advancement in India by offering a total financing support $0.5 billion dollars for solar and clean energy development in the country.

CM Modi said “We [Gujarat]  are blessed with high solar irradiation. We are committed to green power”. He articulated plans to produce solar power on rooftops and agricultural farms, with a focus on the importance of decentralized power. He mentioned that people would be able to rent out their rooftops for smaller off-grid projects.  ”30,000 people will get jobs in solar” he said.

There was no mention of phase III of the Gujarat solar policy. However, he will be speaking at the India Solar Investment & Technology Summit Inaugural address again tomorrow. The solar park visit was part of this three day conference.

About the Charanka Solar Park : The Charanka Village has become a 200MW solar power hub in the middle of nowhere. There are rows upon rows of solar panels, dominated by PV thin film technology. The village has received high class grid and road connectivity infrastructure due to development of the solar park in Gujarat.

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