Category Archives: Thin Film

US complains over India solar trade

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

The US has launched a trade complaint against India over its national solar programme, highlighting renewable energy’s place as the new battleground in global trade. The case announced on Wednesday is the latest sign of rising trade tensions between the … Continue reading →

Posted in Renewables, Solar, Thin Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Solar power one of the fastest growing segment of Indian power sector

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

From almost negligible capacity in 2009 to 1,000+ MW today, solar power is one of the fastest growing segments in the Indian power sector, aided in good measure by enabling policies of the government. The Union government has set a target of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crystalline, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Solar, Thin Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Cumulative deployment of various Renewable Energy Systems / Devices in the country as on 31/01/2013

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

New & Renewable Energy Cumulative deployment of various Renewable Energy Systems/ Devices in the country as on 31/01/2013 Renewable Energy Programme/ Systems Target for 2012-13 Deployment during January, 2013 Total Deployment in 2012-13 Cumulative achievement up to 31.01.2013 I. POWER … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels, Biomass, CPV, Crystalline, CSP, Geothermal, Hydro, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Solar, Thin Film | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Decentralised Storage: Impact on future distribution grids – An EUELECTRIC report, June 2012

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Flush with RE sources of power, EU recognizes the risk it brings to the grid without the appropriate balance of storage.  Europe’s electricity system is undergoing profound changes. The EU is planning a decarbonisation path that will see the EU … Continue reading →

Posted in CPV, Crystalline, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Thin Film, Transmission and Distribution, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Renewable Energy Revolution Hiccups: Grid Instability Has Industry Scrambling for Solutions

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Natgrp: We need to be cognizant of the dangers of too much variable renewable energy (wind especially) and once peak demand has been met, consistent storage solutions are a necessity to ensure businesses in India do not fail. Sudden fluctuations … Continue reading →

Posted in Crystalline, Grid Storage, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Rural Lighting, Solar, Thin Film, Transmission and Distribution, Waste, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Germany’s Green Energy Destabilizing Europe’s Electric Grids – Storage a dire necessity for RE to succeed!

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

High use of renewable energy in eastern Germany driven by government green energy policies is causing instability to its own and its neighbours electric grid Germany is phasing out its nuclear plants in favor of wind and solar energy backed-up … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomass, Crystalline, Hydro, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Solar, Thin Film, Transmission and Distribution, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

AP Solar bidding – List of bidders, bid location and capacity details

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

[Updated: Total Bid Capacity has been updated from 1339.5 MW to 1354.5 MW owing to addition of new information which was not available previously – 15 MW bid by Swiss Park Vanijya Pvt. Ltd. added to the list]… At around 3 pm on … Continue reading →

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Risk of corruption clouds Andhra Pradesh solar bids

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

  The recent bidding guidelines launched by the Andhra Pradesh government for 1,000 MW of solar power projects, leave enough room for corruption. It’s been less than a month since the document has been put out and rumors are already … Continue reading →

Posted in Crystalline, PV, Solar, Solar Policy, Thin Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

REC validity extended to 730 days only, the issue only gets worse

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Going against the requirements and needs of the market, CERC has only extended the validity by just 1 year or 365 days. CERC has also expressed inability to enforce RECs. This will only create an antagonistic situation where the glut … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels, Biomass, CPV, Crystalline, CSP, Fuel Cells, Hydro, JNNSM, Phase II, PV, Renewable Energy Certificates, Renewable Purchase Obligation, Renewables, Rooftop, Rural Lighting, Solar, Solar Policy, Solar Thermal, Thin Film, Waste, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rajasthan solar tender turns up lowest fixed tariff of Rs. 6.45 per KWhr with no escalation

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Rajasthan’s tender for purchase of solar power has turned up the lowest ever tariff offered for selling electricity generated by solar plants. Essel Mining, which wants to put up a 10 MW solar photovoltaic plant and supply the power to … Continue reading →

Posted in Crystalline, PV, Renewables, Solar, Solar Policy, Thin Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Doubling the Global Share of Renewable Energy: A Roadmap to 2030

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

IRENA’s working paper, Doubling the Global Share of Renewable Energy: A Roadmap to 2030, outlines the proposed process, and progress to date, of REMAP 2030 – IRENA’s global roadmap for policies and actions to double the share of renewable energy … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels, Biomass, Crystalline, CSP, Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Hydro, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Rural Lighting, Solar, Solar Thermal, Thin Film, Tidal, Waste, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

US challenges India’s solar program restrictions at WTO

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

The United States on Wednesday filed a challenge with the World Trade Organisation over elements of India’s national solar program, which it said discriminates against foreign solar products in violation of a core global trade rule. The case comes as … Continue reading →

Posted in Crystalline, JNNSM, Phase II, PV, Renewables, Solar, Solar Policy, Thin Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

R&D spending analysis of top 10 PV module manufacturers

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Using the latest market leader rankings from Solarbuzz for 2012, we plotted the annual spending on R&D of the top 10 ranked companies (see figure 1), since 2007. Looking at chart 2 it is immediately apparent that there is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Crystalline, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Rural Lighting, Solar, Thin Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Costs of not using Renewable Energy in excess of $ 3.2 Trillion Annually, says Study

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

It is often claimed that renewables are still too costly and not yet competitive with conventional energy sources. But what costs are incurred when renewable energies are not used? Every day during which potential renewable energy sources are not utilised … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels, Biomass, Coal, Crystalline, Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Hydro, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Rural Lighting, Solar, Solar Thermal, Thin Film, Tidal, Waste, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Empa achieves record 20.4% efficiency for flexible thin film

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Scientists at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, have developed thin film solar cells on flexible polymer foils with a new record efficiency of 20.4% for converting sunlight into electricity. Empa said the cells are based … Continue reading →

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Solar Panel defect rates of 20% seen by Solar Panel Auditors

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

A worldwide glut of solar panels has slashed prices and made the technology affordable to more people than ever before. But that glut could be prompting some panel manufacturers to cut corners. SolarBuyer, a company that audits solar factories, has … Continue reading →

Posted in Crystalline, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Thin Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Quality issues threaten to give solar a black eye: Is your project a victim

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Nearly one-fifth of installed capacity within the California Solar Initiative in 2008 was supplied by a manufacturer no longer producing modules. A University of Arizona study found annual degradation levels of 1.7% on 1,900 modules in the field for three … Continue reading →

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Germany paving the way for solar storage rollout, the next phase of renewables

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

With subsidies starting to wither away and module prices falling, opportunities for solar energy storage systems appear to be growing. As they say, as one door shuts – or several as may be the case – another one opens A … Continue reading →

Posted in Crystalline, Grid Storage, PV, Renewables, Solar, Thin Film | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

IRENA publishes the most comprehensive Global Atlas for Solar and Wind incorporating all the information from multiple data platforms

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

The Global Atlas is the comprehensive information platform on the potential of renewable energy. It provides resource maps from leading technical institutes worldwide and tools for evaluating the technical potential of renewable energies. It can function as a catalyst for … Continue reading →

Posted in Biomass, Crystalline, CSP, JNNSM, Phase II, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Rural Lighting, Solar, Solar Thermal, Thin Film, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Renewable Energy Technologies: Cost Analysis Series 2012 – Solar Photovoltaics, Wind, Biomass, CSP and Hydro

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Renewable power generation can help countries meet their sustainable development goals through provision of access to clean, secure, reliable and affordable energy. Renewable energy has gone mainstream, accounting for the majority of capacity additions in power generation today.Tens of gigawatts … Continue reading →

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Solar Panel Recycling Will Be A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

  A new report predicts the total annual recycled product value of crystalline silicon solar panels will hit USD $12 billion in 2035. While a good quality solar panel will have a lifespan of decades – some modules manufactured in … Continue reading →

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What’s next for PV technology in 2013?

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

“There are limited options today for PV manufacturers to create a differentiated proposition within the PV industry. In fact, when scanning through the alternatives on view, technology is all too often seen to take a back seat.” Figure 1. NPD … Continue reading →

Posted in Crystalline, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Rural Lighting, Solar, Thin Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Top 10 PV markets in 2012 – India at just 2% of global supply

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

  Adapted from the forthcoming NPD Solarbuzz Marketbuzz annual report, the Top 10 markets in 2012 accounted for 86% of global PV demand. Cumulatively, the Top 10 PV markets accounted for 86% of global demand in 2012, down slightly when … Continue reading →

Posted in Crystalline, JNNSM, Phase II, PV, Renewables, Rooftop, Rural Lighting, Solar, Solar Thermal, Thin Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Top 10 PV module suppliers in 2012

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Table 1. According to NPD Solarbuzz, Yingli Green Energy is confirmed as the leading module supplier by MW shipment levels for 2012. Seven of the Top 10 companies can be categorized as public-listed, vertically-integrated c-Si module makers based in China. … Continue reading →

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Paper on Re-considering the Economics of Photovoltaic Power

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Considering the recent dramatic reductions in the underlying costs and market prices of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, and their implications for decision-makers. In many cases, current PV costs and the associated market and technological shifts witnessed in the industry have … Continue reading →

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MNRE 30% subsidy available for up to 500KWp plants

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

In continuation of this Ministry’s recent sanction order of even of even number dated 30 th Oct. 2012 reg. additions/amendments in the above mentioned scheme , I am directed to convey the sanction of the President of India for re-fixing / … Continue reading →

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Modification/simplification of the existing procedure being followed for issue of Concessional Customs Duty Certificate (CCDC) and Excise Duty Exemption Certificates EDECs)

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Modification/simplification of the existing procedure being followed for issue of Concessional Customs Duty Certificate (CCDC) and Excise Duty Exemption Certificates EDECs), in respect of items , equipment etc. required for initial setting up of Solar PV and Solar Thermal Solar Thermal power projects. … Continue reading →

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A conversation with Stefan Reichelstein on the economics of solar power: by Stanford

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Nearly everyone thinks that generating electricity via solar power is good for the environment, but there’s much less agreement on whether it makes sense from an economic point of view. At what point will solar power be competitive with electricity … Continue reading →

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Prospects for Cost Competitive Solar PV Power: Stefan Reichelstein, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Natgrp: This paper is focused on the US markets but provides a perspective into similar solar markets New solar Photovoltaic (PV) installations have grown globally at a rapid pace in recent years. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the … Continue reading →

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China regains top spot spending $68 Billion, as clean energy spending slumps 11 per cent: Solar spending at $142.5 Billion

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Global investments in clean energy fell 11 percent last year due to policy changes in major markets, but China posted a record-breaking investment year, an industry report showed on Monday. Money spent on clean energy projects fell to $268.7 billion as countries … Continue reading →

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Record breaking: Solar Frontier pushes CIS thin-film efficiency to 19.7%

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Ritesh Pothan

Solar Frontier’s Atsugi Research Center has developed Cadmium-free CIS cells that have achieved an energy conversion efficiency of 19.7%. Solar Frontier has broken the record for CIS thin-film solar cell conversion efficiency using a sputtering and selenization process. The current … Continue reading →

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