Renewable Energy For India

[senthilkumark]

Renewables to hit parity with coal and gas sooner than we think

Not fully related to India, but something to cheer.

The cost of key renewable energy technologies is falling more rapidly than thought, with wind already competitive with fossil fuels in many major energy markets, and solar like to achieve grid parity with conventional fuels on utility or wholesale costs in the second half of the decade.

The forecasts from global banking giant HSBC accord with some of the predictions made by the US, Chinese and Indian governments in recent months, and the outlook within the EU. But HSBC says the cost falls appear to be even more rapid, and will coincide with a carbon price that will become a “global phenomenom” in the second half of the decade.

The HSBC report says the best wind projects are already competitive with conventional power generation in many key markets, and will achieve parity in other markets over time. The biggest change has been in solar, which is moving towards grid parity quicker than expected. “The recent change of tone on this subject from many solar companies suggests that producers are becoming more confident that grid parity is a realistic ambition, given the scale of system price reductions,” it writes.

And, HSBC notes, despite the fact that nuclear and conventional fossil fuels had historically benefited from huge investments in R&D and ongoing subsidies, the rising costs of fossil prices and nuclear, and the technological advances for both solar and wind, means that renewable subsidies will be progressively cut back to zero “as cost competitive alternative energy becomes a larger part of the energy-generation mix.”

The HSBC report includes capital and operating costs estimates for all the major conventional and renewable technologies, reflecting recent transactions, as well as capital costs, fuel costs and operating and maintenance costs. It does not include solar thermal (due to slow growth) or geothermal (niche market despite interesting cost position) in its analysis.

These graphs from HSCBC show where generation costs were in 2011 and where they are heading. The first graph shows the estimated range of power generation costs (in Euros) for 2011.



While this one shows where HSBC expects power generation costs (again in Euros) to be in 2015 – just three years away. The difference between these and the estimates included in Australia’s draft Energy White Paper, which contends that solar PV will still be twice as expensive in 2035, is startling.



The HSBC report goes on to make some other interesting points:

The capital cost of solar and wind (especially offshore wind) are on the higher side, but the only cost going forward is operating and maintenance cost as the fuel is essentially free.

Wind and solar costs are relatively predictable compared with fossil fuel-driven sources of power generation, as the raw material costs are zero, whereas all fossil fuel-based generation is subject to volatility in the prices of oil, gas and coal.

The least-cost onshore wind is already competitive with conventional technologies at current fossil-fuel prices and using carbon price in the EU. In the US, low gas prices (owing to shale gas availability) are posing a challenge for the competitiveness of wind technology. However, declining wind capital costs will reduce average wind generation costs by 2015, despite the risk of removal or reduction of subsidies. And in certain parts of Asia, such as India, wind is now close to the electricity sale price being offered by new coal facilities coming on line.

It says offshore wind still has a long way to go to become cost-competitive and the bank is not expecting any significant decline to capital costs until the latter half of the decade, when technology improvements, larger turbines and higher installation volumes should result in beneficial economies of scale effects.

On solar PV, HSBC says that rooftop systems have reached – or are about to reach – retail grid parity in key markets such as the US, Spain, Germany, India and China, and will achieve wholesalegrid parity in the latter half of this decade.

It noted that coal- and gas-based technologies “look very cheap on a capital-cost only basis”, but in fact the bulk of the ultimate cost of power generation is in the fuel and, to a lesser extent, the carbon costs.

It said nuclear faced a number of potential issues, including increased costs because of new safety requirements and the lack of political support in many countries. In any case, HSBC said, the capital cost of nuclear remains difficult to accurately forecast, given the complexity and scale of new build projects, decommissioning costs were variable and the cost and environmental impact of radioactive waste disposal difficult to quantify realistically

Despite its declining cost curve, or maybe because of it, HSBC warns that renewable technologies will be a difficult environment for investors.

“It seems increasingly clear that subsidies for new renewable capacity will continue to see a decline until they are withdrawn entirely. This cut in support will enforce the industry to become competitive with traditional power generation, presumably at the expense of many present participants who cannot breach such a transition. We therefore expect strong medium-term growth prospects for wind and solar, notwithstanding the current near-term pressures.”

In the near term, however, that poses challenges for people investing in listed solar stocks, even if over the longer term it will become a “mainstream technology” with volumes growing in leaps and bounds.

“Despite attractive solar system prices supporting the longer-term growth story, is it now a question of the survival of the fittest in our view.” It says demand will remain weak in 2012, pressure on margins will grow and industry rationalization will gather steam.

[dpitchai]

Originally Posted by vinblr

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जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी -
Mother and The Motherland Are More Sacred than Heaven
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Is this slogan for Nepal?

[karkal]

SOLAR-POWERED ATM MACHINES - EXPAND BANKING OPTIONS IN RURAL INDIA

For many villagers in rural areas of India, personal banking comes at a high cost. In addition to the expense of traveling to the nearest branch, often in distant cities, they must often forego a day’s work.

Vortex Engineering - A “Gramateller” ATM in a Tamil Nadu village.


Local residents use a Vortex ATM in Tiruppalapandal village in Tamil Nadu. (Photo courtesy of Vortex Engineering)

Vortex Engineering, a start-up incubated at Chennai’s Indian Institute of Technology, has come up with a solution that not only saves rural Indians the day’s hassle but cuts down on energy use. Combining solar panels with innovative mechanical design requiring far less power, Vortex’s ATMs are capable of running on about 10 percent of the energy used by conventional machines. And because the low-power design produces very little heat of its own, the “Gramateller” — “gram” is Hindi for “village” — functions as well in the heat of a Rajasthani June as in the snowy winters of the hill station Nanital. To date, 450 Gramatellers have been installed, most in small towns between 30 and 60 kilometers from bank headquarters. Vortex marketing manager, Sabarinath Nair, estimates that 10,000 more are slated to be in place within the next two years, with international expansion — Bangladesh, Madagascar, Nepal, and Djibouti — already underway. Vortex notes that Gramateller is opening business opportunities for banks where there had previously been none, while also saving practices by reducing costs for rural Indians and permitting them to take out only the cash they need immediately. And it is doing it all while running entirely on solar power.
— Jason Schwartz

[karkal]

‘Coastal States must look at offshore wind farms for energy'

CHENNAI, APRIL 20:
India's coastal States should look at offshore wind farms to generate energy. With a coastline of over 7,500 km, India has a natural advantage to go for offshore wind energy, said Mr Swaminathan Krishnamurthy, Associate Director, Climate Change and Sustainable Services, Ernst & Young India.

In Europe, nearly 3 gigawatt (GW) of power is generated from offshore. Why not in India? In fact, a few months ago one company was willing to put up offshore wind farms in Tamil Nadu to generate nearly 500 MW. However, this did not happen, he said at the India Wind Energy Summit organised by Lnoppen India.

Mr Krishnamuthy said that as on March 31, 2012, the total installed power capacity was 199.63 GW. Of this, the renewable energy's contribution was only 23 GW or 12.5 per cent of the total power generation, which is very low looking at natural resources available in the country.

Even within the renewable energy, nearly 70 per cent of it is comes from wind energy. “How are we going to meet international requirements that require use more of renewable energy,” he said.

In the wind energy sector, there is a major chunk of old machines, which are of around 250 kW capacity. There is a huge scope to refurbish this to generate more energy. However, this is a major challenge to overcome, he said.

India has the fifth largest installed wind power capacity in the world. It is estimated that 6 GW of additional wind power capacity will be installed in India by this year, taking the total installed capacity beyond 15GW.

The total potential for wind power in India was first estimated by the Centre for Wind Energy Technology at 45 GW, and recently increased to 48.5 GW. With larger turbines, greater land availability and expanded resource exploration, the potential could be as high as 100 GW. This potential for wind energy significantly widens the attractiveness of the Indian wind energy segment.

The growth in wind energy sector is expected to bring forth a whole range of opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs and businesses, and these opportunities are present along the entire wind energy business value chain, said Lnoppen India.

[kalkibhagwan]

World’s Largest Solar PV Power Plant Added to India’s Grid

Just 14 months ago, the Indian state of Gujarat announced that it was building a $2.3-billion solar park — the largest photovoltaic power station the world has seen so far.



Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, revealed this Thursday via Twitter that the solar park had been switched on:
“Gujarat dedicates 600 MW of solar power to the nation today. We are celebrating the launch of Agni V & dedication of 600 MW solar power park in Gujarat.”
“This achievement is not merely a step in the direction of power conservation, but it provides the world with a vision of how the power needs of future generations can be solved in an environment-friendly manner.”
The new addition to India’s electrical grid triples its current solar power capacity. The solar park is three times larger than the Chinese Golmud Solar Park, which held the record since it was finished in October 2011 with a total capacity of 200 MW.
This is one of many projects to come if India is to reach its green goals within 2020: 15% of India’s total energy consumption should come from renewable sources of energy. The country is currently at 6%.
The project has been a collaboration between 21 different companies, including several from the U.S. Another $400 million is reserved for renewable energy in the very same region where the new solar park operates. Modi says they are planning to encourage the development residential solar panels with a lot of this money.


Congrats

[kalkibhagwan]

Looks like Gujrat is also planning for tidal energy plants

The Indian government has categorised Gujarat as the best state for solar power, wind energy and renewable power generation.



Tidal Energy was a sector that received little attention from developers and policy planners alike due to the perception that the technology has still a long way to go. However, Gujarat has decided to install a project to figure out its potential for meeting state's growing energy demands

At a time when there is an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions across the world, the Indian state of Gujarat is a glaring example commitment towards harnessing renewables as new sources of power. Gujarat is on way to becoming India's renewable energy hub, and the state government is aiming to develop tidal power, an emerging sector of renewable energy, from its long coastal region. After making pioneering efforts in solar power and wind power generation, the state government is now likely to come up with a tidal energy generation policy soon, given the huge potential of the state that has the longest coastline in the country.

According to sources in the state energy and petrochemicals department, the state government has decided to explore the state's tidal power generation potential along with solar energy and wind power in the coming years. Already committed to significant investments in solar and wind energy, and setting its priorities loud and clear, the state is all set to bring India on the list of global frontrunners generating power from tidal waves. Gujarat's long coastline with tremendous tidal waves in the Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambhat make it a hot destination for tidal power generation.

What is tidal power?

Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of power generated in oceans and seas by converting the energy of tides into electricity. Although not yet widely used, tidal power has potential for future electricity generation with tides being more predictable than wind energy and solar power. Tidal current power uses turbines to harness the energy contained in the flow of ocean tides. It is unique as the power output, like tidal movements, is highly predictable and sustainable with zero visual impact and the turbines are completely submerged. Tidal power is like putting a wind turbine subsea and the turbine rotors rotate slowly, causing very little environmental impact to marine flora and fauna. Tidal power, a part of wind energy, has yet to become a popular source of energy, due to the high costs involved in setting up plants, and the limited availability of sites with high tidal ranges. Even with its potential for providing predictable and sustainable electricity generation with no visual impact, tidal power still accounts for only a fraction of a per cent of the world's total electricity generation. According to estimates, world's 15 per cent of the power needs could be met through tidal energy sources. That is slowly changing though, with numerous tidal power plants being constructed or planned for coastlines around the world. Worldwide, the generation of tidal power is very miniscule when pitted against other renewable sources of energy, but experts feel there could definitely be a change with the rising focus on clean energy sources. The biggest tidal power station in the world is located at La Rance, Brittany, France, where 240 MW is generated, sufficient to meet 90 per cent of Brittany's electricity demands.

State's plans

The state government of Gujarat has begun preparing a tidal power generation policy on the lines of its solar and wind power generation policies. The state government has decided to allocate Rs 25 crore in special grant in the upcoming budget for conducting special surveys and studies to identify potential sites where tidal power generation plants can be set up. Initially, Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) and the state-run Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd (GPCL) will conduct this exercise. On the basis of their report, the state government will form a policy to streamline the development of the tidal power sector in the state. Atlantis Resources Corporation, UK-based marine energy developer group, had earlier conducted a study to ascertain the feasibility of the project which revealed that the country had excellent potential to achieve good levels of productivity in terms of tidal power.

During the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January 2011, the state government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Atlantis Resources Corporation for setting up a tidal power project in the Gulf of Kutch. This tidal project, touted as Asia's first utility-scale tidal power plant meant for commercial purposes, is being built as a joint venture between GPCL and the Atlantis, which developed the world's largest tidal turbine in Scotland. The power plant is slated to be built at a cost of around Rs 750 crore with a capacity of generating 250 MW of tidal power. Initially, a pilot project of generating 50 MW of power would be commissioned, and then will be escalated to 250 MW.

Rajkumar Raisinghani, an official at GPCL, said that the formalities of procuring clearance from various agencies are over and the installation of the project may begin anytime in 2012. He said that Atlantis has finished the construction of turbine in Scotland which is in the testing phase. The turbine with a rotor blade of around 18-metre would weigh anywhere from 15-18 tonnes, and proper testing needs to be done before bringing to the site for installation. He added that they were also looking for some financial assistance from government and hoped that the proposed tidal energy policy would somehow create path for financial support from the government part to fast-track the growth of tidal energy sector in Gujarat and India. He said that the tidal power plant in the Gulf of Kutch is likely to start a new chapter in India's renewable energy sector.

Potential in Gujarat

The state of Gujarat is blessed with a long coast line of 1,600 km, where the wind speeds have phenomenal potential to generate power which is yet to be tapped. According to a recent study performed by the Indian government, the Gulf of Kutch has 1,200 MW of tidal energy potential. Apart from Gulf of Kutch, the Gulf of Khambhat is also blessed with immense tidal waves capable of generating power. The prospect of setting up tidal power plants in Gujarat got bolstered after the feasibility survey performed by Atlantis, that showed the tides in the Arabian Sea were strong enough to generate 300 MW of tidal power.

This feasibility study was a result of MoU signed in 2009 between Atlantis Resources Corporation and the State of Gujarat to assess state's tidal power resources with the intention of developing tidal power projects of 100 MW or more capacity. Speaking about the prospects of tidal energy in Gujarat, Atlantis' CEO, Tim Cornelius, had remarked post survey, "The Gulfs of Kutch and Khambhat are renowned for their extreme daily tidal exchanges. In harnessing this renewable energy quickly and sustainably, Gujarat can become a world-leader in tidal energy."

When asked about the future of tidal energy market in India and Gujarat in particular, Rajkumar Raisinghani said, "As per the survey conducted by Government of India and the latest one by Atlantis, there is immense potential in Gujarat and other parts of the country. Since this is a nascent industry, and there is no other equipment manufacturer except Atlantis, a careful planning and policy may lead to an environment wherein around 40 per cent of equipment could be manufactured in India itself bringing down the cost of the overall project."

Conclusion

The Indian government has categorised Gujarat as the best state for solar, wind and renewable power generation and is fast turning into the hotspot for India's renewable energy sector. The state is blessed with significant resources of almost all kinds of renewable energy forms, and it plans to establish tidal, wind and solar power plants to produce more than 7,000 MW of power and significantly raise the share of renewable energy sources.

The proposed tidal power policy and the setting up of India's first tidal power plant in the Gulf of Kutch is likely to push Gujarat at the forefront of the fight against climate change through the adoption of cutting-edge renewable generation technologies. It has the potential to create a new local industry based around tidal power in the state and could establish Gujarat as a global leader in marine power renewable energy creating hundreds of local jobs.

[Illusionist]

Indian workers give the finishing touches to India's first 1MW canal-top solar power plant at Chandrasan village of Mehsana district, some 45 kms from Ahmedabad on World Earth Day, April 22, 2012. This solar power plant on a 750 metre stretch of the Sanand Branch Canal of Sardar Sarovar Project will generate some 1.6 million units of clean electricity per year and will also prevent evaporation of some 90 lakh litres of water per year from the canal. The project has been developed by the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) and is scheduled to be dedicated by Gujarat state Chief Minister, Narendra Modi on April 24, 2012.

[barrykul]

Well, Gujarat is just pressing the accelerator on Solar Power. Go Gujarat!

Now, Gujarat to cover Narmada canals with solar panels!

Gandhinagar, April 23:

Close on heels of commencing use of wastelands in northern districts and rooftops in towns and cities, Gujarat is set to potentially use the existing 19,000 km-long network of Narmada canals across the State for setting up solar panels to generate power.

The Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the first of a series of this project, known as Canal Solar Power Project, when he launches a 1 megawatt (mw) pilot project, which is already commissioned, on Narmada branch canal near Chandrasan village of Kadi taluka in Mehsana district on Tuesday.

Last week, he inaugurated a 600-MW solar power project spread across 11 districts. This included a 214MW Solar Power Park, the largest such generation centre at a single location in Asia. Also, Azure Power, leading independent power producer in solar sector, announced a 2.5 MW rooftops project in Gandhinagar.

Gujarat, which invests nearly Rs 2,000 crore an year on renewable energy, has attracted investments of Rs 9,000 crore so far on solar energy projects.

The pilot project has been developed on a 750-m stretch of the canal by Gujarat State Electricity Corporation (GSECL) with support from Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL), which owns and maintains the canal network.
Energy, water security

The pilot project will generate 16 lakh units of clean energy per annum and also prevent evaporation of 90 lakh litres of water annually from the canal, an official told Business Line here on Monday. The concept will, therefore, tackle two of the challenges simultaneously by providing energy and water security.

The cost of per megawatt of solar power, in this case, is likely to be much less than the estimated Rs 10-11 crore, as the two banks of the canal will be used to cover the canal by installing solar power panel and the government will not have to spend much on creating basic infrastructure, including land acquisition .

Today, Gujarat has about 458 km of open Main Canal, while the total canal length, including sub-branches, is about 19,000 km at present.

When completed, the SSNNL's canal network will be about 85,000 km long.

Assuming a utilisation of only 10 per cent of the existing canal network of 19,000 km, it is estimated that 2,200 MW of solar power generating capacity can be installed by covering the canals with solar panels.

This also implies that 11,000 acres of land can be potentially conserved along with about 2,000 crore litres of water saved per annum.

A little bit of vision and leadership can transform a state, imagine if this were replicated in every state of the Union, India would become a transformed country overnight.

[jaadu]

I have a question though .. generally canals get shallow because of Silt deposition over time .. then they need to be dredged .. so if we cover them by Solar panels that may be a problem ?

Or may be we can come up with some other solution later on to dredge the canals :P

[Krishnamoorthy K]

Originally Posted by Illusionist

Looking at the height I think a boat with dredging equipment (a pump) can move below easily.

Other problem is how to carry out maintenance works of solar panels as reported by one of news reports below.

Gujarat gets world's first canal-top solar plant
Modi to inaugurate world's first canal-top solar plant in Gujarat
How Gujarat canal is turning into a powerhouse
Canal solar power
State pulls off rare feat in reaping Sun, saving water
A solar canal rises in India
Gujarat launches 1 MW solar power project today

[senthilkumark]

I'm not sure whether a dredging equipment can go beneath this. But, it would be possible to dismantle, dredge and assemble back.

[senthilkumark]

ADB to provide $103 million loan to R- Power for 100MW CSP plant in Rajasthan

In a move to boost private investment in renewable energy sector, multilateral lending agency the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has decided to provide a loan of $103 million to Reliance Power Ltd. for setting up a 100-MW solar plant in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan.

Reliance is setting up one of the largest solar plants in India, and the loan marks ADB’s first-ever financing for a concentrating solar power (CSP) project. . The plant will be located near the village of Dhursar in the Jaisalmer district, 180 kilometers west of the city of Jodhpur. The site has one of the highest levels of direct sunlight in the country.

The plant, which is expected to be completed in May 2013, will cost around $415 million to build. As well as ADB’s loan, other bilateral agencies and local commercial lenders will provide funds. It will be the first thermal solar energy plant built by Reliance Power, a listed company of the Reliance ADA Group.

The plant will avoid more than 250,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year, compared to the energy produced by a conventional fossil fuel plant. The project will share a transmission line with the adjacent Dahanu solar power plant, a 40-MW solar photovoltaic plant also partly financed by ADB.

Speaking about the support, Michael Barrow, Director in ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department, said, “This 100-MW plant will help meet growing energy demand in India, in a way that avoids emission of harmful greenhouse gases. We hope that the success of this project will spur others to invest in the solar energy sector, which has massive potential in India.”

ADB is supporting the development of solar energy in developing Asia as part of its goal of promoting environmentally sustainable economic growth. Under its Asia Solar Energy Initiative, announced in May 2010, ADB aims to commission or support 3,000 MW of solar power capacity in developing member countries by May 2013.

[senthilkumark]

Solar power project in Maharashtra cleared, says official

The world’s largest solar power project is expected to see the light of the day in Maharashtra, as the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) has finally issued clearance for its construction. According to a state government official, the MoEF has provided green signal to the proposed125 MW Solar PV Project at Dhule.

The project, which is a part of a larger 150 MW solar power project is entirely financed by the Maharashtra government, with around 80 per cent of the project cost loaned from German development bank KfW.

In May 2011, the Maharashtra Government had cleared the proposal of the State power generation company, Mahagenco, to set up this solar project at Dhule. However, this project, touted as the world’s largest consolidated solar power project, hit an obstacle in September 2011 regarding the allocation of land.

The state officials in the environment ministry were of the opinion that a portion of the land marked for construction of the plant was classified as a forest land, thereby stalling the clearance. The ministry said that the forest land couldn’t be readily allocated for industrial development.

However, now this marquee solar project, which showcases the Maharashtra government’s commitments towards renewable energy, has passed the clearance obstacle. “We just got the forest clearance, and we expect it to be commissioned by November,” informed G.J. Girase, director (finance), Maharashtra State Power Generation Co. Ltd. He said that this matter was brought to the notice of the Central government, as it was basically a bare land and fit for the solar project.

The Dhule project is the first of a series of solar projects greater than a capacity of 100 MW to come up in India, as majority of the solar power plants till date are below 40 MW. India has an ambitious target of installing 20,000 MW of solar power under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), and the projects like the one coming up in Dhule would help to reach the goal in a more strategic way.

Dont know why this is called the largest...

[Vicky007]

India sparks solar energy market.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/12878452.cms

India's ambitious national solar programme has catalysed rapid growth in the solar market driving solar energy prices low and demonstrating how government policy can stimulate clean energy markets, according to a new report.

In only two years, competitive bidding under India's National Solar Mission drove prices for grid-connected solar energy to nearly the price of electricity from fossil fuels, said the report released here Wednesday by the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).

During that same period, cumulative installed solar capacity in India surged from 17.8 MW to over 500 MW, as discussed in "Laying the Foundation for a Bright Future: Assessing Progress Under Phase 1 of India's National Solar Mission."

"As the world's second-fastest growing economy, India has sparked a powerful solar market in only two years," said Anjali Jaiswal, senior attorney for the India Initiative of NRDC, a US headquartered international nonprofit environmental organization.

"While the National Solar Mission still faces significant hurdles, India has already made important strides to attract new domestic and international players into the market, and lower the price of solar energy faster than most anticipated."

The report from NRDC and CEEW provides recommendations to aid the Indian government, private sector and other stakeholders in overcoming obstacles to achieving the Mission's goal of 20 GW of installed solar capacity by 2022, equivalent in energy capacity to 40 mid-sized coal-fired power plants.

These include encouraging financing, boosting domestic manufacturing, and creating a conducive environment.

"As nations race to become clean energy leaders, governments around the world will be closely following the progress of India's National Solar Mission," said Dr. Arunabha Ghosh, CEO for the CEEW, an independent think-tank based in New Delhi.

[karkal]

A solar cap that keeps the heat away

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/new...me-simplysouth

In the middle of an Indian summer, it makes sense to protect yourself from the blazing sun with a cap. And what if, while you're doing that you can simultaneously charge a little battery that lets you cool yourself with a tiny electric fan and run a couple of lights.

[senthilkumark]

Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission: Status report

The first phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) is scheduled to be completed by 2013 only. However, as per progress available so far all the application segments of the Mission are going on as scheduled and on target, according to the Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

Projects sanctioned under the Phase-I of the JNNSM:

Projects under Migration Scheme (84 MW-Solar PV – 54MW, Solar Thermal – 30 MW)
Projects under New Project Scheme (Batch-I) (Solar PV- 150 MW, Solar Thermal- 470 MW)
Projects under New Projects Scheme (Batch-II) (Solar PV- 350 MW)
Projects under Roof top PV and Small Solar Power Generation Programme (RPSSGP) – 98.05 MW
Out of the above, PPA’s were signed with 21 selected bidders for 27 Solar Power projects (340 MW) by 27th January, 2012.
Projects under Roof top PV and Small Solar Power Generation Programme (RPSSGP) – 98.05 MW

Projects under Batch-II, Phase-I:

Solar PV Projects (340 MW) scheduled to be commissioned in 13 months from the date of signing of PPA (i.e. Feb, 2013)
Out of total 78 sanctioned Projects 11 Projects are to be commissioned by June, 2012.
The guidelines that deal with the import of solar modules for Phase-I are specified as under:
Batch-I: For Solar PV Projects, it is mandatory for Projects based on crystalline silicon technology to use the modules manufactured in India.

Batch-II: For Solar PV Projects to be selected in second batch, it will be mandatory for all the projects to use cells and modules manufactured in India. PV Modules made from thin film technologies or concentrator PV cells may be sourced from any country, provided the technical qualification criterion is fully met.

All the Developers using Crystalline Silicon technology have confirmed compliance of domestic content clause.

Following allegations in a section of the media about violation of guidelines by some companies, the Ministry has set up an inquiry committee. The committee comprises representatives from the Ministries of New & Renewable Energy, Power and Corporate Affairs. The inquiry committee is yet to submit its final report.

[murlee]

[murlee]

Installed Wind power by States - Little old(~2010)

[murlee]

Installed Wind power - World

[senthilkumark]

India has huge rooftop solar capacity; Jharkhand tops the list

The state of Jharkhand tops the list of states with rooftop solar capacity with 16 MW under its belt followed by Rajasthan with 12 MW and Andhra Pradesh with 10.5 MW, according to Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Dr. Farooq Abdullah.



Dr. Abdullah informed the Parliament last week that India has 98.05 MW of rooftop solar capacity coming up. He said that of the 98.05-MW spread across 78 projects, 58.05 MW has been commissioned, while the rest are under way.

With the launch of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), the country has embarked upon an aggressive plan to harness power from sun with a target of installing 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. A number of mega watt capacity solar photovolataic (PV) and solar concentrated thermal (CSP) power plants are coming up across the country.

However, a number of experts are of the opinion that rooftop solar installations have massive scope to ease out the load on the grid and also avoid transmission and distribution losses. As a result there is need to harness maximum energy through rooftop solar power installations which abounds in the country.

Dr. Abdullah informed the House that the National Solar Mission programme was on track, and as of yet around 125 MW of solar PV capacity has been commissioned, apart from 46 MW of ‘migration project’, or projects that were conceived prior to the announcement of the Mission under various other schemes, but were allowed to ‘migrate’ into the scheme later. The country has also commissioned CSP plants with Reliance Power constructing India’s largest CSP plant in Rasjasthan.