Category Archives: PV

Renewable Energy: The Big Picture

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Zachary Shahan Notably, the info below doesn’t even take into account the tremendous health costs of coal and natural gas, which would make them much more expensive “at the register” if actually included in the price. Solar Power Price Drops … Continue reading →

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An Off-Grid Success Story, Bangladesh Hits One Million Solar Home Systems

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

    \ A few months back Nancy Wimmer told us about Bangladesh’s solar success. In one of the poorest countries on earth, a renewable energy company, Grameen Shakti, is busy installing nearly 1,000 solar home systems each day. It … Continue reading →

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Clean Energy Access For All – Grameen’s Off-grid Solar Success in Bangladesh

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

In one of the poorest countries on the planet a renewable energy service company is installing one thousand solar home systems – a day. Not in its capital or busy urban centers, but where 80 percent of the population lives … Continue reading →

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Building Utility Scale Power Plants

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

  This guidebook is a best practice manual for utility-scale solar power plants in India. It focuses primarily on ground mounted, fixed tilt PV projects and also covers solar tracking system technology. Intended to be a practical toolkit, the guidebook includes an … Continue reading →

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Bidders seek fine-tuning of AP solar power project norms

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

AP Transco recently floated tenders inviting bids for setting up solar power farms across some select locations in the Andhra Pradesh with a total capacity of about 1,160 MW. Potential bidders for solar power projects in Andhra Pradesh, have sought … Continue reading →

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Design your own PV Plant using SMAs Sunny Design available for Free

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

With Sunny Design, designing PV plants is easier than ever. Simply enter all the required information and within a few minutes you will receive the optimum plant configuration. The free software provides solar power professionals and plant planners with a … Continue reading →

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Tender Specification For Procurement Of Solar Power From Developers Establishing Solar Power Plants In Tamil Nadu

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

  Tamil Nadu is applying its wind experience to solar by recreating a similar framework of price escalation. This would push prices below Rs. 7 and create a new benchmark but will probably repeat the wind ordeal in coming years, … Continue reading →

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Tamil Nadu Solar Consultation Meeting On 23.11.12 2 4.30 pm With Solar Power Developers / Bidders Points Discussed

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

tamil-nadu-consultation-meeting-on-23-11-12-2-4-30-pm.pdf It is proposed by TANGEDCO to procure 1000 MW of solar power from the solar power developers / bidders through competitive bidding route. • Capacity requirement is 1 MW and above. • EMD is Rs.7 lakhs per MW in … Continue reading →

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Developers go into a huddle to beat anti-dumping scare

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Solar power developers in the country have united to devise a strategy to counter any anti-dumping duty on solar cells and panels imported from China and the US. (Anti-dumping investigations were notified by the Ministry of Commerce on November 28.) … Continue reading →

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JNNSM Phase II – Draft Policy

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Moving forward after 2 successful bids, MNRE has now released the JNNSM_Phase_II_Dec_2012_Draft The draft policy makes for some good reading on the current scenario of Solar in India with information presented on the various facets of the prior policies and summaries … Continue reading →

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JNNSM: Detailed Presentation on progress up to November 2012

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

The JNNSM Solar Policy created history of sorts in dropping PV tariffs to the lowest levels of its times. This complete presentation by NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd highlights the timelines, technologies, delays and provides interesting information that’s guaranteed to be of use … Continue reading →

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Installations of Solar Radiation Resource Assessment Stations Completed across India

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has initiated a major project on Solar Radiation Resource Assessment (SRRA) station  across the nation to assess and quantify the solar radiation availability along with weather parameters with a view to develop Solar … Continue reading →

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Solar Junction achieves world record solar cell conversion efficiency of 44%

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Solar Junction CPV wafer Solar Junction (San Jose, California, U.S.) has announced a new world-record conversion efficiency of 44% for a production-ready solar photovoltaic (PV) cell using its multi-junction technology. The measurement of 44% conversion efficiency at 947 suns was … Continue reading →

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India Investigating US Solar Dumping, the sun may as yet not have set on solar manufacturing

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Shortly after the completion of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s investigation into Chinese solar exports, the U.S. now finds itself involved in another global solar trade conflict. India’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry has officially launched an anti-dumping investigation into photovoltaic cells … Continue reading →

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A Step Back in Time: REPORT ON BARRIERS FOR SOLAR POWER DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA by the World Bank – 2010

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

The World Bank released this report in 2010 citing the various barriers to Solar in India and now would be a good time to see whether they were on the money. The full report The World Bank-Barriers for Solar Power Development … Continue reading →

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Rajasthan back in the Solar game with RFP for 100MW each in sizes of 5 / 10 MW each for PV and 50MW for CSP

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Rajasthan Solar Energy Policy, 2011 has been issued by Government of Rajasthan vide Notification No. F. 20 (6) Energy /2010 dated 19.04.2011 for promoting the Solar energy in Rajasthan. The State will support setting up of 100MW (under phase -1) … Continue reading →

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Kerala EOI for renewable(Solar Included) power plants of minimum of 50MW size except Hydro

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

In a quiet manner, Kerala has set about differentiating itself from the pack by inviting an Expression of Interest from investors desirous of setting up power plants under Independent Power Project model, based on renewable technology within the state, of and above the capacity … Continue reading →

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Bhubaneshwar Municipal invites demonstration of Solar Rickshaw

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Click here for detailed information A Green Solution to the Urban Transport System Rickshaw pullers in the city may soon join the green brigade. With a view to promote clean energy transport, the state government is exploring the feasibility of … Continue reading →

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Direct Normal Irradiance – India

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan
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NREL: India Solar Resource Maps

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

India Solar Resource Maps This page contains high-resolution solar resource maps and data for India. The high-resolution (10-km) solar resource data were developed using weather satellite data incorporated into a site-time specific solar mapping approach developed at the U.S. State … Continue reading →

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Renewable energy certificate market crashes as state distribution utilities fail to meet norms

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Prices of these renewable energy certificates have dropped 45% in the past year because of paucity of buyers and as sellers keep off awaiting better prices   A fledgling market in clean energy certificates has crashed as state distribution utilities have failed to honour … Continue reading →

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TANGEDCO undertakes to facilitate establishment of solar power plants to an extent of 1000 MW in the first phase

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Instead of allowing the industry to source its power from solar power plants via Captive and Third part sale which would be the right way to go about it, TANGEDCO is undertaking to facilitate establishment of solar power plants of 1MW … Continue reading →

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Chhattisgarh Grid Based Solar Policy 2012 – 2017

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Chahattisgarh_Solar_Policy_2012_2017 Chhattisgarh is the latest entrant into the solar club with the launch of its solar policy with provisions extending upto 2017. The target upto the year 2017 is between 500-1000MW of Solar Grid Power via Captive, Grid, Solar Parks, … Continue reading →

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180 Solar Panel Makers Will Disappear By 2015

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

A huge bumper crop of solar panels already has caused a sharp decline in their prices and bankrupted many manufacturers worldwide over the past two years. Now a research report released Tuesday says another 180 solar panel makers will likely … Continue reading →

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Amendments to Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Policy

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

A. Para 4(a) In Para 4 (a) “States other than AP State” in the heading and content shall be read as “within the State.” In addition, the following sentence will be added: “They will qualify for REC subject to applicable … Continue reading →

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Gram Power installs smart solar micro-grid in Pali district of Rajasthan

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Gram Power has installed its 2nd Smart solar micro-grid in Pali district of Rajasthan with 2 more plants expected in the 1st week of December in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The remote village in Rajasthan of 350+ people on the … Continue reading →

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Solar Struggle: A Rise Of Poorly Made PV Modules?

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

California, USA — Has the pressure to compete in a world market beset by an equipment glut and plummeting prices over the past two years led to an increase in poor quality solar panels? The answer is “yes” say some … Continue reading →

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All India Regionwise Generating Installed Capacity (MW) Of Power Utilities Including Allocated Shares

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

All India Regionwise Generating Installed Capacity (MW) Of Power Utilities Including Allocated Shares – Sept 2012 REGION THERMAL Nuclear HYDRO R.E.S.@ TOTAL COAL GAS DSL TOTAL (Renewable) (MNRE) Northern 29923.5 4671.26 12.99 34607.75 1620 15423.75 4437.65 56089.15 Western 43199.5 8254.81 … Continue reading →

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CERC revises Benchmark Capital Cost, PV to Rs. 8 Crs and Thermal to Rs. 12 Crs; has asked for comments / suggestions be made before the 23rd of November 2012

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

CENTRAL ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION – NEW DELHI Petition No. 242/SM//2012 (Suo‐motu) Date of Order: 25th October, 2012 In the matter of Determination of Benchmark Capital Cost Norm for Solar PV power projects and Solar Thermal power projects applicable during FY 2013‐14 ORDER … Continue reading →

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Kerala 10000 Rooftop Solar Power Plant Programme – List of bidders qualified for opening financial bid

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Saturday, 03 November 2012 08:00 Ref.:- Notification No. 4351/ANERT/SRTP/01, Dated 26th September 2012 The list of bidders who have Qualified (after clarifications) for price bid opening for the empanelment of Manufacturers/ System Integrators for the 10,000 Rooftop Solar Power Plants … Continue reading →

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4MW of applications for Kerala solar rooftop(1KW) and counting

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

The Kerala state government’s attempt to popularize solar-based small-scale power plants is getting a solid response from the public. The Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology (Anert), which is implementing the scheme, has received around 4,000 applications for setting … Continue reading →

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Grid-connected rooftop and off-grid solar to get greater push in JNNSM Phase II

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

The second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) will see the grid-connected rooftop solar projects coming in a big way besides an enhanced emphasis on the off-grid solar applications, according to Tarun Kapoor, Joint secretary, Ministry of … Continue reading →

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Andhra Pradesh likely to call bids for generation of 1,000 mw of solar power

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

The Andhra Pradesh Government is likely to call bids for generation of 1,000 mw of solar power shortly in a bid to overcome the power crisis and also to encourage non-conventional energy sector. The Andhra Pradesh Government is likely to … Continue reading →

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Energy Statistics 2012 – Ministry Of Statistics And Programme Implementation

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

This publication titled “Energy Statistics 2012”, is brought out every year by Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the present one is 19th in the series. The publication contains the latest data available in respect of different energy sources, with different … Continue reading →

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Policy For Implementation Of Solar Power Based Projects In Madhya Pradesh, 2012

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

The Madhya Pradesh Solar Policy 2012 is amongst the well thought out in India. It provides incentives for those industries pushing for open access while reducing the need for government entities to invest in power generation. A number of states are … Continue reading →

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Solar based coolers charge phones in off grid villages and increase sales by 500%. Commerce shows the way – with Coke giving away solar coolers free to off-grid villages

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

As the first rays of the winter sun hit the small solar panels perched on the roof of Roop Devi’s kirana store in a remote village in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a direct current compressor motor whirrs into life. It refrigerates … Continue reading →

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Andhra Pradesh Solar Policy – 2012

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH – ABSTRACT Clean and Green Energy – Development of Solar Power in Andhra Pradesh – Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Policy – Order – Issued. —————————————————————————————- ENERGY (RES-A1) DEPARTMENT G.O. Ms. No. 39 Dt. 26-09-2012 ORDER:- In order … Continue reading →

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New take on residential solar systems and street lighting shows innovative thinking by Tamil Nadu

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

In addition to the newly launched Solar Policy, TN is now pushing ahead with redefining the norms for home and street lighting. To reduce the pressure on the grid during the peak hours, TEDA has introduced guidelines for grid interactive solar systems … Continue reading →

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Kerala takes step in the right direction for rooftop solar

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

A further case in point on the future for solar, Keralas much awaited Solar Rooftop Power Plants scheme for 2012-13 has been launched in September 2012. Interested persons can register for installing and availing subsidy under this programme by downloading … Continue reading →

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Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd (GPCL) not providing details of the land deals for Charanka, alleges petitioner, Farsu Goklani, Congress leader from Radhanpur

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

The state government-owned Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd (GPCL) is not providing details of the land deals for its ambitious Charanka solar power project in Patan district, alleged a petitioner, Farsu Goklani, Congress leader from Radhanpur. He sought details of various … Continue reading →

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Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal takes step in the right direction by ordering decentralizing of agricultural power needs using solar clusters

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

The Punjab government has decided to explore the possibility of developing solar power clusters to energise agricultural water pumps in rural areas, besides setting up solar panels at canals and rooftops of big buildings. Presiding over a meeting on Tuesday … Continue reading →

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Powering Cellular Base Stations – A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF ENERGY OPTIONS Solar PV, Diesel Generators, Batteries and Electrical Grid by Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Sriram Narayanamurthy, Janani Rangarajan, Sneha Raj

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Powering Cellular Base Stations A Quantitative Analysis of Energy Options- Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, RITCOE- IIT Madras at the Telecom Center of Excellence (RiTCOE) Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Telecommunications networks are critical infrastructure that needs assured power supply 24×7. Before the … Continue reading →

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Complete Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy 2012

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Tamil Nadu has again proved to be at the forefront of generating renewable energy by creating an investor and environmental friendly Solar Policy which puts in the right set of incentives to bridge the tremendous power gap as well as … Continue reading →

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Report on the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

  CEEW, in collaboration with the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), has assessed progress under the first phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, which has a goal of installing 20 gigawatts of solar energy by 2022. Laying the Foundation … Continue reading →

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Tamil Nadu releases solar policy 2012; focus on commercial consumers consuming 6% of solar

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

A 6 per cent ‘solar purchase obligation’ and a tapering generation-based incentive (GBI) are the cornerstones of Tamil Nadu government’s solar policy, unveiled on 20th October 2012. In pushing investors towards the target of 3,000 MW in three years, the … Continue reading →

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A tremendous opportunity to make a difference by lighting a Billion Lives – Bringing Solar Light to Rural India; a new gasp of life for the energy poor – a rural initiative by TERI

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

See the video here Every night 61 million rural households in India use kerosene for lighting needs. Globally, 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity and fight darkness with oil lamps which hampers their health, growth and productivity. … Continue reading →

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The next step in Metros’s: Delhi to source 9% from Renewables

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Taking Delhi’s climate change agenda forward, the power regulator has mandated that in the next five years, 9% of Delhi’s power supply will come through renewable sources. The renewable purchase obligation (RPO), under which discoms will have to source a specific amount … Continue reading →

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Look like no one’s buying RECs this September

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Non-solar RECs Prices remained at floor price this month as supply has remained far in excess of demand. The over-supply situation has persisted for the last few months – this month 7.11 lakh RECs were bid for sale (up 13% … Continue reading →

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Request for Proposal for Setting up Solar Power projects in Madhya Pradesh Under Category II and III of the Policy for implementation of Solar Power Projects in Madhya Pradesh – 2012

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER, NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY DEPARTMENT, GOVERNMENT OF MADHYA PRADESH NOTICE INVITING PROPOSALS (Setting up Solar Power Projects under REC or Third Party sale or captive us category as specified under Category II and III of the … Continue reading →

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Solar movement in India gathers steam as Odisha announces 25 MW project

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Ritesh Pothan

Odisha has announced a 25 MW solar power project. Solar power plant developers can bid for the project and the one that sells the power at the lowest tariff to the State will be awarded the project. The Odisha project … Continue reading →

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