In conversation: State Perspective Interview:

Varsha Joshi,
JS, MNRE on Wind Energy
Uttar Pradesh Sunil Sikka,
President, Havells India & ELCOMA
Pg 34 Pg 42 Pg 45
` 100 $ 5 € 3
www.energynext.in

Volume 5 Issue 7 May 2015 Hyderabad Your guide to Renewable Energy

RNI NO.: APENG/2010/38296 Date of Publication: 08/05/2015 Date of Posting: 10/05/2015

Soaring
High The first year of Modi government
puts India on world RE map

100 GW

60 GW

10 GW

5 GW
 IN THIS ISSUE VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 07 | May 2015
RE Thrust
w w w . e n e r g y n e x t . i n

14 34
A year of In Conversation - Varsha Joshi

quantum
Cover story
Policy changes to
boost wind sector
jump

The wind energy sector is treading on

the path of growth, after witnessing
The past one year has been a tremendous year for the renewable energy slowdown in the past few years.
sector in India. The NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Varsha Joshi, Joint Secretary at the
Modi has put the RE sector on growth path through a slew of measures. Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy talks about various challenges
The target for the sector has been scaled up to 175 GW, with assurance facing the industry and how the sector
from government of providing necessary policy and regulatory support is poised to attain envisaged goals
to the investors. The resounding success of the first Renewable Energy

38
Global Investors Meet & Expo clearly puts India on the Global RE map

Innovation- Students-
DMRC collaboration
26 Wheeling wind
Expert Speak power
Not by Gigawatts alone! A group of students at Kalindi College,
University of Delhi, took up a project
Dr Satish Balram Agnihotri, former secretary of under which they developed a wind
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, talks turbine prototype, which could be
about the government’s ambitious programme of installed at underground Metro tracks
installing 175 GW of RE capacity by 2022, out of for generating power. The electricity
which 100 GW is from solar energy. He stresses on produced could be used for meeting
the need for innovation in the field of renewables power requirements at the metro stations
and presses for giving equal importance to all the
segments of the sector for inclusive growth

42
32
State Perspective-Uttar Pradesh

Sunny side UP
Collaboration- Hannover Meet Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India
in terms of population, is gearing up to
Make in India! Don’t meet the challenge of rising electricity
miss the Bus! demand by tapping huge potential of
solar energy. The state government is
Lately, RE has come to acquire a great working towards creating conducive
deal of significance in India, and is seen environment for private sector
as a prospective vehicle to attain energy investment through enabling policy
security in a sustainable manner. Christoph measures. The ‘Solar Power Policy 2013’
Ernesti talks about the recent visit of Indian and the ‘Solar Rooftop Policy 2014’ have
Prime Minister to Germany and the market been enacted to increase solar power
potentials for RE in India explored by Indo- generation as well as consumption in
German Energy Forum at Hannover Messe the state

May 2015 | Energy Next | 3

 In this issue

45
Interview- Sunil Sikka

LED: Effective future

lighting solutions
LED Technology is bringing about radical
changes in lighting across the world. With
the pro-active steps taken by the government,
Indian lighting industry is poised for an
unprecedented growth. Sunil Sikka, President
– Havells India Limited and currently
President of Electric Lamp and Component
Manufacturers’ Association of India talks about
the transformation that the lighting industry will
witness in the coming years

48 53 58
Success Story-Gujarat Perspective - REC MNRE News

State pioneers Electricity Amendment Piyush Goyal bats

in solar Bill to boost REC market for strong grid
The renewable energy certificate (REC)
market in India is struggling to find
momentum amid non compliance of
renewable purchase obligation (RPO)
targets by state utilities. KR Nair, Vice
President of IWPA stresses the need to
have a strong enforcement policy for
RPO to revive the REC market

D Jagatheesa Pandian and Dr

Omkar Jani discuss various The Minister of Power Coal,
initiatives and programmes that New and Renewable energy,
have resulted in making Gujarat a Piyush Goyal, while attending
leader in solar power generation the inauguration of Gridtech
in India. “Gujarat Solar Power 2015 stressed on the need to
Policy-2009” in January 2009 not have a strong transmission and
only targeted a solar installation distribution system in place,
capacity of 500 MW by 2014, but even as the country gears up for
also had many well-designed increasing the share of renewable
investor-friendly provisions energy in the total energy mix

61
IREDA Corner

IFC, IREDA partner to boost financing for RE

Recently, the Indian Renewable Energy Development
Agency Ltd. (IREDA) and IFC, a member of the World Bank
Group, inked the master cooperation agreement. The
two organisations will partner to provide much-needed
infrastructure financing for renewable energy projects in
India, which, in turn, will help boost growth and create jobs

4 | Energy Next | MAY 2015


On A Positive Note
R
enewed vigour shown by
Government of India through
its pragmatic policies and
initiatives has enthused all
stakeholders in the sector. While the
government has set ambitious targets and
has rolled out plans to attain them, the
renewable energy industry has also shown
encouraging signs and is bullish about
fulfilling envisaged targets.
The government announced the target
of installing 175 GW of renewable energy
capacity in the country by 2022 that
comprises 100 GW from Solar, 60 GW from
Wind, 10 GW from Bio-Energy and 5 GW
from Small Hydro Power (SHP). Right from
scaling up the target to providing budgetary
support; creating enabling investment
environment to pledging 24x7 power to all,
the government is taking necessary steps
that will take us nearer to the target.
Today, renewable energy can no longer
be seen as a supplementary or secondary
form of energy, but to be viewed as an
important component of India’s energy
mix and energy security. With renewable
energy becoming increasingly cost
competitive, the Central Government is
facilitating all the stakeholders to be on
board, especially the states.
The first Renewable Energy Global
Investors’ Meet & Expo (RE-INVEST),
held in February 2015 in New Delhi, was
able to attract huge attention of domestic
as well international players. The primary
objective of the event was to showcase
India as a global investment destination.
RE-INVEST was successful in eliciting
interest from developers, manufacturers
and bankers in form of Green Energy
Commitment certificates.
The government did its bit for the
renewable energy sector by offering a
series of incentives, which restored the
confidence of the renewable energy
community. Restoration of Accelerated
Depreciation (AD) scheme for wind
energy sector, reduction in the excise
duty on raw materials for solar and wind
equipment, a 10-year tax break to power
projects operational before March 31, 2017,
Chairman & Managing Director, IREDA
FROM the editor
increase in cess on coal to `200 per metric
tonne are some of the measures taken in
right ernest.
The year 2014-15 saw an installation of
4,089 MW as against the target of 3,770 MW.
Though a small achievement, this is a positive
signal for the sector.
An important aspect that needs to
be kept in mind is the requirement of
funds for the renewable energy sector.
The government is striving for attracting
foreign investment by creating a liberal
environment for the investors. 100 per cent
Foreign Direct Investment in the renewable
energy sector is permitted.
During the Prime Minister’s recent visit
to Germany, France and Canada, a series
of agreements were signed in clean energy
sphere. In the joint statement issued by India
and Germany, the latter resolved to “support
India in its endeavour to install 175 GW of
Renewable Energy by 2022 by providing
adequate technical and financial support.”
An MoU was also signed between the
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE), and the Ministry of Ecology,
Sustainable Development and Energy,
Government of France to encourage and
promote technical bilateral cooperation on
new and renewable energy issues.
Recent reports and trends are
indicating towards a definite surge in
renewable energy investment in the
country, however, to attain the ambitious
goals, all stakeholders need to work
together and make renewable energy a
preferred source of energy.
KS Popli
May 2015 | Energy Next | 5
 letters to the editor

I am a small entrepreneur who is engaged in

Draw children’s the business of renewable energy in Unnao
attention district of Uttar Pradesh. Recently, I visited
Delhi and got an opportunity to see a copy of
Energy Next magazine. Though the magazine is Enabling Investment Environment
informative, I would request you to please carry
stories about how young children make use of Editor-in-Chief K S Popli
daily household products to develop renewable Publications Director R Ramprasad
energy or energy efficient products. This will Assistant Editor Upendra Singh
help in generating interest among the youngsters Assistant Editor Richa Kapoor
as they will learn about the importance of clean Head - Business & Events Anupam Daftuar
energy from a very young age. Design Flying Tusker Media
ll Gaurav Tripathi, Unnao Marketing Manager Abhinav Dutta
Manager - Research Anup Kumar

Good coverage to the Managing Director of Energy
states Efficiency Services limited,
After reading Energy Next, I am
glad to know that the states in
different parts of the country are
doing a lot of work in the field
of renewable energy. It seems
that there is a lot of potential in
the field of renewable energy
and with the right kind of
policy and regulatory support
we can harness this potential.
Moreover, it seems that the hill
states in India are doing very
well in renewable energy.
ll Vishal Talwar, Noida
Accelerating efficient
lighting
I was not aware about the
amount of power that we
could save if we switch over
to LED lighting. The article
written by Saurabh Kumar,
Feedback: Please send your feedback and comments to
editor@energynext.in
advisory board
helped me understand the
importance of LED lighting.
I also understood that in the
long run, it will help me bring
down my electricity bill. Till
now, when I was purchasing
the bulb or a tubelight, I used
to merely go by the price of
the product. However, after
reading the article, I will switch
over to LED lighting.
ll Vandita Sen, Delhi
More financing
stories
The budget issue of Energy
Next had covered well the
details of budget. I must
congratulate your team for
getting the viewpoint of the
industry leaders. It is my
request to please get more
stories on what steps are being
For the latest Renewable Energy news.
taken in the banking and
financial sphere. This will help
a potential entrepreneur to
make an informed decision.
ll Anand Mittal, Delhi
More News
The news section carried in
your magazine is very crisp and
it keeps us updated with the
latest happening that is taking
place in and outside India. The
IREDA corner and the MNRE
news are indicative of what all
steps are being taken by the
government in the sector. Such
information is not available in
mainstream media. It is only
when we read such news that
we come to know that the
government is doing a lot of
work in the field of renewables.
ll Vinay Mehrotra, Bangalore
log on to www.energynext.in
Energy Next is printed by R Ramprasad and published
by R Ramprasad on behalf of
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 NATIONAL
RBI notifies RE under priority sector lending
T he Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
revised the priority sector lending
norms and has accorded renewable energy
sector the priority sector lending status.
The apex bank came out with a new
set of rules for priority sector lending
Govt to award 10 GW of solar projects soon
T he Indian government has
initiated work on ambitious target
of installing 100 GW of solar power
capacity by 2022. According to sources,
the government will be awarding
10,000-MW of projects in the coming
months.
Under the plan, 6,000 MW of
capacity will be set up by NTPC Ltd
while 2,500 MW will be set up by
Solar Energy Corporation of India
(SECI). Approximately 2,500 MW will
be set up in Madhya Pradesh and the
8 | Energy Next | April 2015
to farmers, small & medium enterprises
(SMEs), exports, education and renewable
energy.
A new set of rules by RBI mandates
banks to lend at least 40 per cent of their
net credit to the priority sector; in the case
of foreign banks, those with less than 20
branches will reach the target by 2020.
The renewable industry in India has
welcomed the RBI’s decision of bringing RE
sector under priority sector lending. Tulsi
Tanti, CMD of Suzlon Group, said that the
notification by RBI will boost investments
from the SME sector in renewable space, as
the finance will be available at a competitive
rate with bankers having separate allocation
and priority for the sector.
remaining would be at solar energy parks
in different states.
NTPC will build 3,300 MW of projects
on its own, while 3,000 MW worth of
projects will be tendered under the
bundling scheme.
On the other hand, SECI, which is a
fully owned subsidiary of the Ministry of
New and Renewable Energy, will tender
out 2,000 MW of projects. A proposal in
that regard will be sent to the Cabinet for
approval, and the tendering process will
commence after the approval.
RE investment in
India surges in 2015
T he first quarter of 2015 has seen a
surge in the investment in India’s
renewable energy sector. This was revealed
in a report released by research firm
Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).
According to the report, the
investment in the country’s renewable
energy sector shot up 59 per cent year-
on-year to $1.6 billion during January
to March 2015. As per the current
trends, it is estimated that investment
in the RE sector in India may cross $10
billion in 2015, a first since 2011.
During the recently held Renewable
Energy Global Investors’ Meet &
Expo (RE-INVEST) in New Delhi,
the RE community had pledged an
investment commitment of more than
$200 billion for setting up of over 270
GW. However, BNEF states that despite
positive trends, the overall investment
environment in the country is still far
from the level that was committed by
the investors.
Wind installation
increases in 2014-15
2 014-15 witnessed a slight increase
in new wind energy installation in
India as compared to 2013-14. Against
installation figures of 2,146 MW in the
previous year, the wind sector in the
country saw a marginal surge, adding
new capacity of 2,297 MW in 2014-15.
With the reinstatement of accelerated
depreciation (AD) scheme in the Budget
2014-15, it was expected that the wind
sector in India will see an installation of
over 3,000 MW. However, despite the
hopes, installation figures were only a
little better than the previous year.
The wind industry is, however,
optimistic that the yearly installations
will increase in the coming year.
According to Madhusudhan Khemka,
Chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine
Manufacturers’ Association, the new
capacity addition in the current fiscal will
cross the 3,000 MW mark.

New tariff policy to boost renewable generation
T he Indian government has proposed an
amendment in the existing tariff policy
of 2005 to give a boost to renewable energy
sector. As per the amendment proposed
by the Ministry of Power, promotion of RE
sources has now been added as the fifth
objective of the tariff policy.
The proposed amendment has several
features to boost solar energy generation,
including revising renewable purchase
obligation (RPO) target from 3 per cent by
2022 to 8 per cent by 2019.
Policy revamp key to achieving RE targets in India
I f India wants to accelerate implementation
of renewable energy projects and attain
desired results, there is need for policy
revamp. This was revealed in a study released
by the US-based Climate Policy Initiative and
Indian School of Business.
The analytical study ‘Reaching India’s
Renewable Energy Targets Cost-Effectively’ calls
for revamp of the existing policies to speed up
solar and wind energy deployment and bring
down cost of implementation.
The study advocates a
cost-effective policy
path to achieve
renewable energy
targets, considering
the government’s
constrained budget.
The report suggests that the government
can save huge amount of money in the form
IFC, PFS collaborate to spur RE financing
I FC, a member of the World Bank Group,
and PTC India Financial Services Ltd.
(PFS) have entered into an agreement to work
together to promote renewable energy in India.
The collaboration will provide a much-
needed infrastructure financing for RE projects
in the country. The primary objective of this
partnership is to give a boost to the RE sector.
With this, PFS becomes the first institution
in India to sign IFC’s master cooperation
agreement. The ultimate aim is to make
of incentives for solar projects by adjusting
the current policy.
In case of wind energy, the target of
installing 60 GW by 2022 can be achieved with
minimal government financial support. As
per the report, wind energy in India is already
cheaper than the power generated from a
new built imported coal plant.
local currency financing available in shorter
time-frames and reduce financing costs
for borrowers, thereby enabling quicker
commissioning of projects.
Hyun-Chan Cho, IFC’s Head of
Infrastructure and Natural Resources – Asia
Pacific said that both IFC and PFS can now
work more efficiently with Indian companies
to spur private sector development by
providing long-term risk capital where it is
needed most.
NEWS
The discoms will now be allowed to
purchase bundled solar power from existing
conventional power plants on a cost plus
basis to meet their RPOs. However, they can
continue to buy solar power by allocating
capacity through competitive bidding route.
The mandate of at least 10 per cent of
renewable power generation by coal-fired
power plants, installed after a specified
date, is a big boost for the sector. RE
sources will now be exempted from inter-
state transmission charges.
Arun Jaitley bats for
greener technologies
T he Finance Minister of India, Arun
Jaitley, in his intervention on Climate
Change Finance Ministerial organised by
the World Bank on the sidelines of annual
Spring Meeting of the International
Monetary Fund and the World Bank,
said that in order to curb the menace of
climate change, the global community
should develop greener technologies on a
war footing.
Jaitley stated that a warmer planet will
disproportionately affect poorer parts of the
world, including India, and efforts need to be
taken on an urgent basis.
He said that adopting renewable energy
sources will help clean the environment to a
larger extent. Highlighting India’s ambitious
programme for harnessing RE sources, Jaitley
said that the target for installation of RE in India
has been increased significantly. He mentioned
the solar target being increased from 20 GW to
100 GW by 2022.
April 2015 | Energy Next | 9
 State | News
AP to install 1.3 GW of wind, solar in this fiscal
A ndhra Pradesh (AP) is taking steps to
install more than 1,300 MW of wind and
solar power facilities in the fiscal year through
March 2016. The government is planning to
complete 1,000 MW of wind and 300 MW of solar
photovoltaic parks in the current fiscal.
The planned wind power capacity is more
Haryana to build canal-top solar power plants
T he Haryana government is mulling over
to replicating Gujarat’s renewable power
generation model, under which canal tops
and canal banks can be used as potential solar
power plants.
The Haryana Renewable Energy
Department (HAREDA) has already
undertaken an exhaustive feasibility study in
various parts of the state for this ambitious
project. Meanwhile, officials from the
irrigation department as well as from
HAREDA are undertaking surveys to find
suitable places to set up solar power grids.
Experts are of the opinion that there are two
major advantages of building solar plants on
top of canals-- they will pave the way for an
Odisha seeks financial assistance to boost RE
T he Odisha government has urged the
Union Ministry of Power to provide
them with adequate monetary assistance
from the National Clean Energy Fund
(NCEF) to implement renewable energy
projects in the state.
There are several renewable energy
projects that have been set up in Odisha
and require monetary assistance. The state
government has also asked the government
of India to introduce subsidised financing
10 | Energy Next | April 2015
NDMC promoting
than the state’s ‘Power for All’ initiative. Earlier,
solar rooftop units
it proposed to install 800 MW of wind power
capacity in the state during the same period.
In solar energy, the state government awarded
619 MW of power purchase agreements (PPAs) to
private developers in December 2014. By the end of
2015, plants of less than 10 MW are to be finished.
The projects which are bigger than 10 MW capacity
are to be commissioned by March 2016.
Recently, AP Eastern Power Distribution
Company Ltd and AP Southern Power
Distribution Company Ltd signed a PPA with
NTPC Ltd signed a PPA for 250 MW solar power
plant, the first phase of the 1,000 MW ultra solar
power project being set up.
T he New Delhi Municipal Council’
(NDMC) is promoting the use of solar
panels on roofs of buildings to reduce
stress on the distribution grid. NDMC’s
rooftop solar project is gaining pace, and
recently a solar rooftop power project was
inaugurated at a school in the area.
Households interested in setting up
solar panels on their rooftops will be
given permission to link their units to
the power distribution network under the
net-metering scheme.
efficient and cheap use of land, and they will The power produced from the household
also prevent millions of litres of water from solar units will be bought and adjusted in the
evaporation. monthly bill. Net metres will help to keep
Haryana has a wide network of canals. This track of the amount of power that is sold.
is an important part of their irrigation system. With an aim to ensure smooth generation
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and transmission of solar power, the civic
(MNRE) is playing a pivotal role in setting up body will undertake a feasibility check to
solar projects along the canals. find out whether the connection can be
linked to the NDMC grid.
schemes for renewable energy sector.
The state is taking steps to woo private
developers with an aim to set up solar, biomass,
small hydro and co-generation power plants.
It has set up Green Energy Development
Corporation for execution of RE projects.
Steps are also being taken to identify
land to set up ultra-mega solar plants in
the state. In order to prepare combined RE
policy, the state government had appointed
World Bank as a consultant.

RE to transform BRICS economies
T he United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) executive
director Achim Steiner stated that the
renewable energy (RE) will play a pivotal
role in transforming the economies of
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa (BRICS).
A report prepared by UNEP, stated that
the countries in different parts of the world
were investing a large amount of money in
renewable energy. The report mentioned
that the developing nations invested $131.3
billion in green energy in 2014 and China
was leading in this sphere.
According to Steiner, China is investing
huge amount in the renewable energy sector
and have also reduced the price of the
Emerging markets give boost to wind sector globally
G lobal wind energy installations witnessed
a surge in 2014 led by emerging markets
in Africa, Asia and Latin America. This was
revealed in the Global Wind Energy Council’s
flagship report released in Istanbul.
The report talked about the role played by
the emerging economies in the international
scenario, with China having installed 23 GW of
new wind capacity in 2014, thereby raising the
cumulative total to 114 GW.
For the first time, Brazil made its way to
the top 10 cumulative rankings, placed at 4th
position. The African wind energy market
is also treading on the path of growth, while
Germany, Chile, Canada, and Turkey also had
good growth years.
renewable energy technologies. The green
initiatives undertaken by the countries are
helping to combat pollution that is related to
the industrial growth and are trying to keep
pace with consumer demand.
Steiner stated that approximately 700 million
people in Africa do not have access to power,
and UNEP is aiming at making use of science
to overcome the rising challenges.
The annual wind turbine installations
surpassed 50 GW mark and investment in
the sector grew by 11 per cent. Owing to the
growth in the wind energy sector, a lot of stress
is being given to the sector in 2015.
Steve Sawyer, GWEC Secretary General
stated that the growth of the wind power is
driven by competitive pricing.
He further said that wind power is helping to
meet sustainable, clean and indigenous power
sources in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The Global Wind Energy Council’s
annual regional forecast predicts Asia
playing a dominant role followed by Europe
and North America. It is likely that Latin
America will grow.
INTERNATIONAL | News
Dubai aims to
accomplish RE targets
W ith an aim to accomplish the
renewable energy targets Dubai
has announced the third phase of solar
energy plans. The objective is to work
towards making Emirate clean and
green by 2021.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
is looking forward to raise the share of
RE to 7 per cent by 2020 and 15 per cent
by 2030. It is estimated that the share
of the renewables will increase as the
Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Solar Park, a photovoltaic plant will
become functional by April 2017.
The Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy
2030 also looks forward to broaden
the horizon of the energy sources. The
energy mix would include 71 per cent
from natural gas, 15 per cent from solar
energy, 7 per cent from clean coal, and 7
per cent from nuclear power.
Solar-powered
bicycle developed in
Denmark
R enewable energy is fast making
inroads into various aspects of life,
and a solar-powered bike designed in
Denmark is a testimony to this.
Designed by Jesper Frausig, the
‘Solarbike’ consists of a torpedo-shaped
battery container mounted in the front
triangle of the cycle while the solar
panels are mounted on the disc wheels.
The solar cells on the wheels,
which are highly efficient and
‘shadow optimised,’ deliver clean
energy directly to the battery. The
solar cells charge the battery when
the bike is in a standstill position,
and when in motion the energy is
provided by the battery for the motor.
The bicycle can travel at a speed
of 50km/h and cover a distance of
around 70 km when the battery is
fully charged. The speed of the bike
can be easily adjusted as per the
requirement.
April 2015 | Energy Next | 11
 INTERNATIONAL
China’s RE sector to bring down GHG emission
I n wake of rapid deployment of solar,
wind and bio-energy projects, China
plans to attain its target of reducing
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2025.
This was revealed in a report led by the
China National Renewable Energy Centre,
Japan’s emphasis on smart grid technology for RE
J apan has been increasing deployment
of smart grids in wake of country’s
emphasis on boosting energy efficiency
and power generation from renewable
energy sources.
A report by research and consulting
firm, GlobalData, states that Japan
could soon become one of Asia-
Pacific’s top markets in smart grid
development. Japan was among the
first countries globally to invest in
smart grid research and development
in the early 2000s.
The Ministry of Energy initiated
a new programme in 2014 to
12 | Energy Next | April 2015
and prepared in association with experts
from the US and Denmark.
The report states that rapid growth
of renewable energy in China is
technologically and economically feasible,
and the country’s coal use could peak in
2020 and its GHG emission by 2025, five
years ahead of target.
Experts are of the view that China has
to bring down its reliance on coal amid
urgency to clean up its air and reduce
GHG emissions. They feel that the country
should expedite RE projects and that
too at large scale so that the peak time is
achieved at the earliest. A lot of stress is
being laid on financial and technological
innovation besides policy reform to
achieve high renewable targets.
encourage micro-grid development
in Japan. With a budget of $7 million
provided annually for three years, this
programme makes funding available
for independent demonstration
projects that include renewable energy
production & storage systems, and
energy efficiency optimisation.
Japan has been working to boost
the country’s energy efficiency and RE
generation post Fukushima nuclear
disaster in 2011. RE accounted for only
10 per cent of Japan’s total installed
capacity in 2014 that is expected to
grow to 19 per cent by 2025.
Mexico revises
renewable target
M exico has revised its target of
getting 5 per cent of its power
from renewables by 2018, from its
earlier target of 8.2 per cent. This
was mentioned in the draft policies
formulated last month.
The target is part of the national
development plan that was formulated
recently by Mexico’s energy secretary.
The aim is to accomplish the country’s
existing long-term target of generating
35 per cent of its power from clean
sources by 2024.
It is believed that the target was
reduced as more money would be
spent to reach the goal of 8.2 per cent
in the next three years.
With a constitutional amendment
that was approved in December
2013, Mexico is working towards
transforming its energy industry. The
revised target is part of the reform.
Global solar
market expected to
grow in 2015
G lobal solar power demand is
expected to grow up to 30 per
cent in 2015 compared to 2014,
reaching 57GW, according to a
forecast released by IHS Inc. It states
that the size of the solar PV industry
in 2015 will be ten times the size of
the industry that was seven years ago.
The report states that China will
be the key market for the third
consecutive year as far as driving
the solar PV industry in 2105 is
concerned. The other top growth
markets are expected to be Japan, the
United States, United Kingdom and
India.
IHS also predicts solar PV inverter
market to return to growth. It is
estimated that revenue from PV
inverter sales will increase by more
than 10 per cent, from $6.6 billion in
2014 to $7.5 billion in 2018.

South Korea, Columbia increase cooperation in RE sector
S outh Korea and Columbia
have signed a memorandum of
understanding to work together. The
MoU was signed by South Korean Trade-
Industry-Energy Minister Yoon Sang-jick
Colombia’s Mines and Energy Minister
Tomas Gonzalez in Bogota.
It is for the first time that the Korean
government has inked a deal with a foreign
government for penetrating into overseas
renewable energy market.
There a large number of opportunities
with regard to exporting Korea’s green
Off-shore wind gets off the block in US
T he long awaited off-shore wind
energy development in the United
States finally got a kick start with the
commencement of construction work at
Jobs in Australia’s RE sector dips
M ore than 2,000 clean energy jobs have
been lost in the past two years owing
to the political deadlock over the Renewable
Energy Target (RET), according to the
Australian Bureau of Statistics report.
The report mentions that in the past year
12,590 employees worked at wind farms, solar
energy self-supporting model to Colombia,
as the country has large amount of renewable
wind farm in Rhode Island.
The off-shore wind farm will be located
about 13 miles south of Rhode Island off the
coast of Block Island. The wind farm is being
developed by Deepwater Wind and is expected
to be commissioned in the fall of 2016.
The power produced from the 30 MW
wind farm will be used to power every
home and business on Block Island, which
has a population of just over 1,000. The
excess power will be supplied to Rhode
Island through undersea cables.
The installed wind energy capacity in
the US is about 47,000 MW, however, the
off-shore wind development has taken
considerably long to get off the block.
panel manufacturing sector and hydropower
plants. However, the new data reveals that
employment in renewables has declined by 15
per cent since 2011-12, during which it had
touched almost 15,000 full-time workers.
There is disagreement between the
government and opposition over the renewable
energy target, under which it is made mandatory
that 20 per cent of all Australia’s energy should
come from clean sources by 2020.
Owing to the uncertainty prevalent in the
market, investors are wary of investing in the
sector leading to loss of new employment
opportunities.
NEWS
energy sources such as solar, wind and
geothermal power. However, there are
several areas which are not connected to
the state grid.
Recently pilot projects for electric
vehicles as well as energy self-sufficient
villages in the South American country
were launched. Korea will go ahead with
a pilot programme so as to form self-
sufficient energy villages in Colombia’s
energy-poor and isolated areas, which
are not easily accessible by conventional
electricity grid infrastructure.
Tool to assess
geothermal potential
T he International Renewable Energy
Agency and the European Space Agency
have come out with a new tool to gauge
geothermal potentials around the world.
As geothermal energy exists underground,
it is extremely difficult to measure. So, the
new device, which is now available online,
can investigate the geothermal potential. This
new technique, using ‘Global Bouguer and
Free Air Gravity Anomaly Maps,’ enables
prospectors to assess geothermal potentials at
minimum risk and minimum cost.
The tool provides a short-cut for lengthy
and costly explorations and unlocks the
potential of geothermal energy. The maps use
ESA satellite gravity measurements to look for
certain characteristics unique to geothermal
reservoirs, including areas with thin crusts,
subduction zones, and young magmatic
activity. This helps determine which areas are
most likely to possess geothermal potential,
narrowing the search for prospectors.
The publication of these maps is a first
step towards developing a comprehensive
geothermal prospecting technique.
April 2015 | Energy Next | 13
 Cover Story

A year of
quantum
jump
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government is on the verge of
completing one year in power. A year back, the renewable energy industry,
struggling to find the right momentum amid uncertainty, had pinned its
hope on the new government. Almost twelve months on, the government
has taken ambitious decisions for harnessing RE sources and has put plans
in place to attain them. Upendra Singh takes stock of the RE sector’s journey
over the last year, and casts a look at what lies ahead

“I
n my mind there is a poor
man sitting in darkness,
and I want to utilise the
resources available to us to
the optimum, so that they can be used
to benefit him. We want to accelerate
the efforts and reach where we want to
reach and then beyond that. We have to
analyse the resources of energy to attain
our goals. The journey from megawatt
to gigawatt in renewable energy is
very ambitious one, which will help
in realising our goal.” This statement,
made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
during the first Renewable Energy Global
Investors’ Meet & Expo (RE-INVEST-15)
held in February 2015, clearly underlines
the intent and focus of the government
towards addressing energy security
concerns with renewable energy.
The renewable energy industry in India
has witnessed a major transition over the
last one year, be it in terms of increased to scaling up renewable energy targets,
focus or a new and direct link with the the government has made right decision
country’s energy security. The National and created appropriate noises for a sector
Democratic Alliance (NDA) government that had been struggling to retain its
under Narendra Modi came to power in momentum over the last few years.
May 2014. From that moment on, the RE
sector noticeably garnered unprecedented ll Round-the clock-power
attention and relevance in the Indian and to all
global renewable community. Right from One of the first and one of the most
clubbing the three important ministries, significant decisions of the NDA
Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy, government was the setting up of
I am impressed with the government’s
decision of dreaming big and promising
24x7 electricity to all households by
2022. We need to bridge the energy gap,
improve the quality of life for the rural
populace and enable inclusive growth
K Subramanya

14 | Energy Next | MAY 2015

 RE Thrust

“Advisory Group for Integrated

Development of Power, Coal and
Renewable Energy” to ensure 24x7
electricity to all households over the next
five years. In order to achieve this goal,
the government announced enhancement
of power generation, with special focus
on renewable energy sources. The priority
attached to the renewable energy sector
can be easily discerned in a statement by
Piyush Goyal, Minister for Power, Coal
and New & Renewable Energy when he
says that renewable energy in India is
no longer a supplementary or secondary
form of energy.
Appreciating the government’s vision
of providing round the clock power to all,
K Subramanya, former CEO of erstwhile
Tata BP Solar, says. “I am impressed with
the government’s decision of dreaming
big and promising 24x7 electricity to all
households by 2022. We need to bridge
the energy gap, improve the quality of
life for the rural populace and enable
inclusive growth. Our energy mix
should be judicious based on long term
perspective. We have to be a powerful
nation and be respected and counted.”

ll Raising the bar

The vision of Piyush Goyal to make
India a RE hub raised the bar for the
sector. The government announced the
target of installing 175 GW of renewable
energy capacity in the country by 2022,
comprising 100 GW from solar, 60 GW
from wind, 10 GW from bio-energy and 5
GW from small hydro power (SHP). The
government made its intentions clear by
inviting all the stakeholders to play an
active part in realising this goal.
“There has been a rush of positive
sentiment due to infusion of various
policy measures introduced by the
Modi government. The government has
favourably prioritised the RE industry,
keeping in view India’s generation
potential. The Prime Minister’s vision
has set the capacity target for 175 GW
of renewable energy by 2022, with
solar energy capacity accounting to
100 GW capacity. Intentions like these
from the government have set the ball
rolling for numerous initiatives,” states

May 2015 | Energy Next | 15

 Cover Story

The first year as it pro

August 2014 October 2014
June 2014

• Directive to states • Off-shore wind:

for faster • Smart Cities: MoU for India’s first
sanction of RE projects Plan for 100 smart off-shore project.
• Amendment to cities. • JNNSM:
Electricity • Wind energy: MNRE announces
Act for steady To install 10 GW draft rules for 3,000
growth of RE capacity annually MW of solar PV
• 24x7 power to all • Landmark EE projects
households by 2019 initiatives for multi- • MNRE initiates work
storey buildings & on “Renewable
hospitals Energy Act 2015”

• Minister: Piyush Goyal • Budget 2014-15: • No anti-dumping

appointed minister for Bouquet of offerings for RE duties
Power, Coal and New • Re-instatement of AD on cheap solar imports
and Renewable Energy. scheme for wind energy • RE capacity
• Ministerial synergy: • Solar parks, ultra solar enhancement: 1 lakh
The three Ministries— projects, solar irrigation MW in 5 years
Power, Coal, New & scheme • Indo-US partnership
Renewable Energy-- • Ten-year tax holiday for on energy security, clean
under one minister for power sector energy & climate change
the first time in India. • NCEF: Doubling of clean • MNRE announces
energy cess on dates for
coal, peat and lignite RE-INVEST-2015
MAY 2014
September 2014
JULY 2014

Vineet Mittal, Vice Chairman, Welspun
Renewables.
The hosting of RE-INVEST 2015 was
a major step by the Ministry of New
and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to
showcase India as a hot renewable energy
investment destination to the global
community. The objective behind staging
of an event of such magnitude reaped
rewards which reflected in the huge
commitments made by investors from
India and abroad. Commitments of more
than 270 GW were received from private
players, PSUs, manufacturers and other
government organisations. Likewise, the
banks and financial institutions pledged
to support the renewable sector by
funding around 72 GW.
ll Big, Bold & Beautiful
The Prime Minister’s vision of ‘big, bold
and beautiful’ has been truly emulated in
the renewable energy sector. Praising the
Indian government, Dr Arunabha Ghosh,
CEO at Council on Energy, Environment
and Water (CEEW), states, “The nearly
one year old NDA government, under
Prime Minister Modi, has systematically
been prioritising renewable energy. Their
commitment to renewables was signalled
strongly when they set the mammoth
target of a 175 GW of installed renewable
energy capacity by 2022.”
When the Jawaharlal Nehru National
Solar Mission (JNNSM) was launched
in 2010, the target of installing 20
GW by 2022 was envisaged. In the
wake of negligible installed capacity
in the country, this was seen as an
overambitious target. Come 2015, and
the target has been revised to 100 GW—
five times the original target set under

16 | Energy Next | MAY 2015

 RE Thrust

gressed & continuing...

February 2015 April 2015
• RE-INVEST 2015:
December 2014 Organised in New Delhi • Piyush Goyal
from Feb 15-17 announces plans for
• Commitments: Govt new Financing models
• Solar Parks:
receives commitment • Indo-French
MNRE initiates
worth 266 GW agreement in RE
scheme for setting
• Banks/ FIs pledge • Govt to award 10 GW
up 25 solar parks
commitment of 69 GW solar projects in three
• RE target
• Budget 2015-16: months
enhancement:
`6,161 crore approved • Priority sector: RBI
Target to install 175
for RE sector proposes priority sector
GW by 2022
• NCEF: Clean energy lending status to RE.
• Solar project along
canals cess doubled to `200/
metric tonne

• Solar Energy: • RE Commitments • Govt releases

JNNSM target
increased to 1 lakh MW
from investors
• CERC revises
`957 cr towards GBI
for wind projects Target
• Prime Minister calls for
‘Global Virtual Centre’
price of solar RECs
• LED scheme:
PM launches
• Solar Funding:
Government to for 2022
for clean energy at G20 raise $3 bn
Summit scheme for LED bulb • Solar Plane: Solar Solar
• Indian Railways
announces plan to
increase RE footprint
distribution
• PM Modi & US
President Obama
Plane, Impulse 2, lands
in India
• Scheme to turn
100 GW
• Approval to raise agree to work on major ports into green WIND
clean energy goals
60 GW
authorised share capital ports
of IREDA • Govt plans to
raise $25 bn fund March 2015
for RE sector
BIO-ENERGY
November 2014
10 GW
Small Hydro
January 2015
5 GW

the JNNSM. A similar case is that of
wind energy. Despite being the largest
contributor in the country’s renewable
energy mix, the wind energy sector had
been struggling since 2012 due to certain
incentive issues. To instil confidence into
the project developers and manufactures,
the target was set at 60 GW by 2022 from
the current capacity of around 23 GW.
Is this merely a matter of over quoting
or are there measures and a roadmap
in place to achieve the targets? Initially,
after a lot of opposition and discussion,
it was decided by the government that it
would go for the target. Experts are of the
opinion that this really ambitious target
may not be achieved in such a short span.
However, on an optimistic note, there are
many in the government as well as in the
industry who believe that in even the worst
case scenario, the capacity will be much
more than the originally envisaged targets
in the solar and wind energy sectors.
Dr. Tobias Engelmeier, Director and
Founder at strategic consulting firm,
Bridge to India, says, “The target of 175
MW by 2022 is most likely not going
to be achieved. While the market is
developing positively, there is nothing
in current trend or in the government’s
specific policies that suggests this can be
achieved. Does that matter? Not really. If
India achieves even 50 GW of renewables
by 2022 it will present a vast market
opportunity and create a solid foundation
for further growth.”
Right before the NDA came into
power, the Commerce Ministry had
recommended imposition of anti-
dumping duty on cheap solar imports
from China, Malyasia, Taiwan and the
USA. The Indian domestic manufacturing

May 2015 | Energy Next | 17

 Cover Story
The Prime Minister’s vision has set
the capacity target for 175 GW of
renewable energy by 2022, with solar
energy capacity accounting to 100 GW
capacity. Intentions like these from the
government have set the ball rolling for
numerous initiatives
Vineet Mittal
industry had also been demanding the
imposition of these duties, so that they
could be provided with a level-playing
field. However, to the utter surprise of the
domestic manufacturers, the government
decided to not impose the anti-dumping
duties in wake of larger interest of the
solar industry in India. This step, though a
harsh one for the domestic manufactures,
was applauded by experts.
“Doing away with the anti-dumping
duty was an instance where the immediate
need of solar generation was given
predominance. Since then the whole
retinue of policy measures have been
announced which will attract investments
into the sector while addressing some
of the key issues the industry has been
facing,” states Mittal.
ll Creating Opportunity
The massive response from the global
renewable community indicates that
the government’s aggressive approach
will give a boost to the RE industry.
Consequently, India is now fast
emerging as an attractive destination
for investments. Industry experts feel
18 | Energy Next | MAY 2015
that the government has been able to
ally investors’ worries and the proposed
Renewable Energy Act will help in
steadying a strong and long-term policy
environment.
The required fund to set up the targeted
potential of 175 GW will be anywhere
around $160 billion and requires a lot
of effort, especially considering the
current state of renewable financing.
The government is looking forward to
raising funds for the renewable energy
sector and is accordingly inviting banks,
financial institutions, bilateral and multi-
lateral agencies to help the cause. Public
sector entities like Indian Renewable
Energy Development Agency (IREDA),
Power Finance Corporation (PFC),
Rural Electrification Corporation (REC),
IDBI Bank, India Infrastructure Finance
Company Limited (IIFCL), YES Bank,
ICICI Bank, etc are being encouraged to
issue green bonds for the purpose.
To achieve the set targets, India requires
huge amount of funding not only in the
project development process, but also to
strengthen the manufacturing base in the
country. The scaled up target for renewable
energy deployment provides ample
opportunity for the manufacturing industry
in India. Both RE-INVEST and Prime
Minister Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiatives
have turned out to be ideal breeding ground
for almost all the segments and stakeholders
of the RE sector.
Additionally, the high requirement
of equipment of solar and wind energy
projects is likely to drive demand for
locally manufactured equipment and
create a more robust and competitive
market. Dr Ghosh states that the ‘Make in
India’ campaign is a positive signal for the
renewable energy sector, and can boost
the domestic manufacturing market of
solar cells and modules, as well as of wind
turbines and balance of system parts.
“India’s renewable energy targets will pose
a great burden to the exchequer in case
domestic manufacturing does not gain
impetus,” he reasons.
When one talks about 175 GW
capacity, it also creates a huge
employment generation opportunity. In
case of solar, to attain the target of 100
GW by 2022, there is a requirement of
close to 10 lakh efficient manpower to
carry out various construction and other
operational activities. According to
Bridge to India, the new job opportunity
in the solar sector would be around 6.8
lakh by the time the target of 100 GW is
achieved over the next 7-8 years.
Subramanya says that these landmark
initiatives in the renewable energy sector
were long due, and t will catapult India
to the top of the list of solar markets.
He adds that several thousand jobs will
be created in the solar sector alone, as
more and more investors from India and
overseas join the solar bandwagon.
ll Budget support
To make the announcements a reality, the
government has also tried to put aside
technical and promotional constraints
by providing adequate support through
budget provisions for the sector. The
NDA government had the opportunity
to present two budgets during this short
span, and both received good remarks
from the industry.
The first budget in July 2014 for

the fiscal year 2014-15 bore the stamp
of Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Saffron
Revolution’ through renewable energy.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley put forth
a bouquet of offerings for the RE sector,
including a 10-year tax break to power
projects operational before March 31,
2017, reduction in excise duty on raw
material for solar and wind equipment,
reduction in duties on machinery
imported for solar, wind and biogas
plants, increase in clean energy cess,
reinstatement of accelerated depreciation
(AD) scheme for wind, million solar
water pumps programme and 25 ultra
mega solar parks.
The Budget 2015-16, though was not
as robust as the earlier one for the RE
sector, but it was termed as visionary
by the industry experts and players.
Finance Minister’s mention of 175 GW
of renewable energy target in his budget
speech underlines the importance given
to the RE sector. The doubling of clean
energy cess from `100 per metric tonne
to `200 per metric tonne on coal was a
major boost for generating fund in the
National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF).
The Budget allocation to the RE sector
was increased to `6,161 crore. Provisions
like powering 20,000 villages with off-
grid solar, training 10,000 Surya Mitras,
support to R&D in RE and excise duty
exemption on specific raw materials for
wind and solar were some other measures
to benefit the sector.
ll Striking a chord on
global platforms
India has made it clear on global
platforms that it is serious about
climate change concerns and in order
to curb green house gas emissions, it is
supporting aggressive renewable energy
generation. Prakash Javadekar, the
Minister for Environment, Forest and
Climate Change, during his speech at the
United Nations Environment Programme
Assembly meeting in Nairobi in June
2014, made India’s point clear when he
said that the government was working on
a new roadmap for low-carbon growth
with the help of renewable energy.
The Modi-led government has tried to
strengthen collaborations with respect
to R&D activities, technology transfer,
manufacturing and joint development
initiatives with other nations. The
The NDA government has done a very
good job in placing renewables at
the core of India’s energy future and
their announcements have caught the
attention of investors around the world.
Putting in place the details, however, is
challenging
Dr Tobias Engelmeier
RE Thrust
government has been able to discuss
renewable energy collaborations with
almost all the leading nations in the sector.
“Our Prime Minister has been highlighting
renewable energy, especially solar, in all
his discourses during his visits to Japan,
United States, Australia, France, Germany
and Canada,” states Subramanya.
On Modi’s recent visits to France and
Germany, India entered into several
landmark agreements in the renewable
energy and energy efficiency space. At
the Hannover Messe, world’s largest
industrial trade fair, India was the partner
country and the enthusiasm shown by
leading companies from across the world
in the Indian renewable industry is a
testimony to India’s growing might in the
clean energy space. Solar and renewable
energy collaborations were the priority
areas in Hannover, and it is believed
that there could be a major agreement
between India and Germany at the time of
May 2015 | Energy Next | 19
 Cover Story
Given the proactive
action taken by this
government in the
RE sector, it is safe
to presume that
renewable energy
in India is here to
stay and grow from
strength to strength
Dr Arunabha Ghosh
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit
to India in October 2015.
“Prime Minister Modi has also
included RE in his foreign policy
dialogues that have resulted in
agreements around technology transfer,
joint research and development, foreign
investment in the Indian renewable
energy sector and joint deployment.
Given the proactive action taken by this
government in the RE sector, it is safe to
presume that renewable energy in India
is here to stay and grow from strength to
strength,” states Dr Ghosh.
ll Way Ahead
The initiatives taken by the government
are work in progress, and there is still a
lot more to be done. However, a positive
undercurrent is clearly visible in the
Indian RE industry, and the industry
is optimistic that a transformation for
20 | Energy Next | MAY 2015
the better is in the offing. Increased
number of renewable energy projects
will require related infrastructure in
place and a proper allocation of money
and resources. Ample opportunities
will arise in construction, engineering,
manufacturing, research, technological
innovation, supply chain & logistics,
administration and operation.
“The NDA government has done a
very good job in placing renewables at
the core of India’s energy future and their
announcements have caught the attention
of investors around the world. Putting in
place the details, however, is challenging,”
states Dr Engelmeier. He goes on to
say that cutting diesel subsidies and
increasing power tariffs are important
achievements. “Renewable purchase
obligations (RPOs), land reform, taxation,
skill development still need to be worked
on. In the end, if India becomes a well
functioning economy with a healthy
power sector, there is no stopping
renewables. They just make too much
sense,” says he.
The target of installing 175 GW by
2022 has definitely given the renewable
energy sector the much needed impetus
but needs to be supplemented by decisive
policy making, access to finance and
technological know-how. “There is
need to create appropriate eco-system
for supporting RE entrepreneurs and
stimulating growth is imperative. Active
steps also need to be taken to improve
the health of the energy distribution
companies,” states Dr Ghosh.
He also stresses the need to strengthen
the grid infrastructure. The poor financial
health of distribution companies poses a
great threat to the scaling up of renewable
energy, as their inability to honour power
purchase agreements not only creates a
disincentive for RE power producers, but
also makes RE projects less bankable for
financiers. Equally on the supply side, there
is need to invest in grid up-gradation, so
that the inclusion of renewables in the grid
can be seamless. “The ground-level policies
have to be streamlined to ensure that the
appropriate incentives are in place to help
the RE sector grow. The policy environment
should be in a phased manner, over the next
few years, allow the market to stabilise and
eventually, allow market factors to drive the
RE sector,” remarks Dr Ghosh.
On the other hand, making state
governments equal partners with the
Central government should be of utmost
priority, as the projects will ultimately be
set up in states. Mittal applauds the role
of MNRE in creating a synergy with state
governments. “Earlier this year, MNRE had
requested respective state governments to
come up with their own solar policies. This
is a welcome move as each state, depending
on solar irradiation received, will draft
conducive policies,” states he.
The RE sector in India is witnessing
an inevitable change, and the need of
the hour is to press the right buttons.
The NDA government during its one-
year tenure has shown intent for robust
growth. The plan is afoot and the
roadmap is being charted out. It remains
to be seen how the plan is implemented
on the ground.
 Industry Speak | Wind

From words to action

In the wake of scaled up targets, the renewable energy industry and more
specifically the wind sector is upbeat. The wind industry is optimistic about
accomplishing the revised target by 2022. However, it needs the government
to take adequate measures to overcome the existing bottlenecks and work in
close coordination with the state governments. DV Giri hails the initiatives
taken by the government for the growth of the sector and hopes for their
proper on-ground implementation.
as promotion of wind and solar hybrid
systems, which will have combined success
of the two large RE sources.
The re-introduction of the accelerated
depreciation (AD) and continuity of the
generation based incentive (GBI) has
once again given a lot of impetus to the
industry. Other initiatives, including
inter-state scheduling and forecasting, as
well as re-powering, are equally welcome
by the wind industry.
Now, the need of the hour is to make
these commitments a reality. The
obligation (RPO) will help the renewable
energy certificate (REC) market, which is
currently going through a difficult phase. There
is need to find a way to make this successful.
Power needs to be treated as a
commodity and the government should
encourage ‘Open Access’ in the real sense
inclusive of inter-state sale of power.
The industry is concerned about the
utterance of ‘competitive bidding’ in wind
energy. Competitive bidding is a long-term
process, to be evolved with a policy. We
have to consider the lessons that we have

T
investment is coming from the private learnt from other countries. Introducing
he wind power industry sector and mainly in the wind states. competitive bidding without a well
welcomes the Prime Minister While we appreciate that power is a thought out process and the involvement
Narendra Modi’s ‘MAKE concurrent subject, the industry requests of stakeholders would be as dangerous as
IN INDIA’ campaign, fully engagement of the Centre and the wind driving a luxury car without brakes.
supports it and is committed to it. states along with all the stakeholders to
The author is secretary general of Indian
The announcement of the National ensure that the targets are achieved. Wind Turbine Manufacturers’ Association
Democratic Alliance (NDA) government Mandating the renewable purchase (Views expressed by the author are personal)
to accomplish the target of 1,75,000
MW of renewable energy, out of which
1,00,000 MW has been alotted to solar
and 60,000 MW to wind, is a great
initiative and has given a tremendous
boost to the industry.
This was demonstrated at the first
Renewable Energy Global Investors’ Meet
& Expo (RE-INVEST), held in New Delhi
February 2015 and inaugurated by the
Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
It is here that the investors submitted
their Green Energy Commitment
certificates with an aim to contribute
towards fulfilling this ambitious target.
It is heartening that the Prime Minister
of India, even at the International Forums,
has talked about renewable energy as well

May 2015 | Energy Next | 21

 Industry Speak

An optimistic
outlook

There can be no doubt that solar energy is on a growth trajectory both in India as
well as globally. This is borne out by the double digit growth in USA in terms of
capacity addition, investment and employment generation in solar energy sector.
India too is on a growth spree, and the recent initiatives by the government aim for
new heights. Pranav R Mehta talks about the journey of solar in India and what lies
ahead in wake of measures taken by the NDA government

I
n India, Solar Energy saw an
impressive beginning, starting
with the first Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy’s (MNRE) policy
of February, 2008, then the Gujarat policy
of January, 2009 and subsequently the
Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
(JNNSM) of the Government of India in
November, 2009. Subsequently, some other
states, notably Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,
Punjab and Tamil Nadu joined the race.
While it started with near zero capacity
in 2010, the country has now reached a
capacity of over 3,500 MW by 2015. A
significantly large part of this capacity was
commissioned between 2011-2014.
However, in the last three years,
beginning June, 2012, the solar power
growth momentum has suffered due
to policy uncertainties, inadequate
fund allocation and disbursal by the
Government of India to MNRE, poor
renewable purchase obligation (RPO)
enforcement, non bankability of renewable
energy certificates (RECs) and high Open

22 | Energy Next | May 2015


Access evacuation/grid related issues.
ll Optimism
Despite the above mentioned setbacks in
the inter regnum, the country is set for a
quantum jump for renewable energy in
general and solar energy in particular.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led
NDA government has shown resolve and
determination in taking renewable energy
industry to new heights in the country. The
target of 100 GW of solar power capacity by
2022 is an ambitious and aggressive step.
Similar aggressive steps have also been
taken by some states recently; notably by
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and
Tamil Nadu. A likely policy is also to be
announced by Maharashtra. The aggressive
approach adopted by states is in sync with
the big plans of the Central government to
make India a global renewable energy hub.
ll Challenges
Despite aggressive announcements and
some enabling provisions by the Narendra
Modi Government and some individual
states showing good signs of encouraging
solar energy growth, there are still huge
challenges and ground realities. In order
to realise those ambitious and aggressive
targets set by the Government of India,
it is appropriate and prudent that these
challenges and ground realities are
better understood and evaluated, before
investment decisions are taken.
Today, Germany is the leader in solar
power capacity with more than 36 GW of
installed capacity.
Solar capacities of world’s
leading countries
Countries Installed Capacity (GW)
Germany 36.3
China 18.3
Italy 17.9
Japan 13.5
USA 12
Spain 5.34
France 4.67
United Kingdom 3.4
The NDA government under
Narendra Modi has not only
increased the JNNSM target five
times to 100,000 MW, but also
followed it up by fairly good
encouraging announcement
and measures
India has a plan to install 100 GW
by 2022, which means that it will have
to install three times what Germany has
achieved till date, and that too in the
short span of seven years. The target is
huge and so are the challenges. It is worth
mentioning that Germany could achieve
this 37 GW target by higher solar tariff and
the successful effort of Dr. Hermann Sheer,
great grandfather “Bhishma Pitamah” of
solar energy in the world. As a Member
of Parliament in Germany, he got a law
enacted which made it compulsory for
“any green or renewable energy generated
anywhere” to be taken by the grid.
India also needs to have some effective
mechanism that enables speedy growth of
the solar energy sector.
Taking into account the journey of solar
energy in India, it may be observed that
with the best of entrepreneurship and
funding, as well as favourable policies
available, no company, barring a few like
Welspun and SunEdison, has succeeded in
commissioning over 200 MW capacity in
the last 5 years. Those who succeeded had
the backing of a cash rich parent company.
Solar
ll Looking Ahead
Despite existing challenges, the future for solar
energy sector in India is indeed very optimistic.
The NDA government under Narendra Modi
has not only increased the JNNSM target five
times to 100,000 MW, but also followed it up by
fairly good encouraging ‘announcement’ and
measures. The government has taken many
enabling steps such as 1,500 MW capacity
target given to NTPC for the next 5 years;
1,000 MW to Coal India and similar steps for
other PSUs, Solar Park policy, investment in
strengthening transmission lines, Electricity
Act Amendment, a new Renewable Energy
Act, etc.
A Solar Park Policy and Canal top Solar
Projects Policy are some of the initiatives that
will help boost capacity addition in quick
time. During the government’s mega event
RE-INVEST 2015, a number of Indian &
International Banks/FIs pledged to finance
RE projects. State Bank of India committed to
provide `75,000 crore over the next five years
to support 15,000 MW of renewable energy.
The Indian Renewable Energy Development
Agency (IREDA) also issued Green Bonds
worth `500 crore and will continue to do so.
It is beyond any reasonable doubt that solar
is on a growth path globally as well as in India.
It can therefore be said that an approach of
cautious optimism needs to be adopted for
the growth of solar energy sector in India. As
discussed, there are hurdles and difficulties.
However, one can be prudently optimistic
in view of factors like the government’s firm
resolve, some enabling steps taken, individual
states taking bold initiatives and the readiness
of the financial sector to support renewable and
solar energy sector projects.
The author is chairman, National Solar Energy
Federation of India
(Views expressed by the author are personal)
May 2015 | Energy Next | 23
 Industry Speak
Yet to get its due
For quite some time now, the biomass sector in India has been struggling
due to various policy and regulatory measures. Amitabh Tandon,
discusses the issues facing the sector today, the expectations that remain
unfulfilled and what the sector expects from the government in its
forward movement
I
n its first year, the new government
arrived with hope and a renewed
desire for improvements. The list
of expectations from each segment
of the Renewable Industry was long, and
naturally, not every one of them could be met.
Those who found that their’s wasn’t, were
disappointed. The biomass sector happens
to be one such segment, and today, it is
disappointed by the focus, or lack of, that it has
received from the government in attending to
its needs and operational requirements.
The disappointment stems more from
the fact that the biomass sector is complete
and fits into the vision of ‘Make in India’. Its
operation provides strength and momentum
to the rural economy by creating livelihood
opportunities for the rural people from its
operations. If the biomass power plants
are not able to operate properly, these
opportunities are also lost.
In the past, both policy makers and
regulators have ignored the requirements
of the sector forcing the 1,250 MW odd
24 | Energy Next | MAY 2015
biomass capacity established in the country
towards closure and financial stress.
World over, the biomass sector is given
maximum vantage and importance in
comparison to other RE sectors, simply
because its operation requirement is different
from the others. In countries like Germany,
Sweden, and Finland, this has led to the
biomass sector operating successfully.
Biomass has a variable cost in fuel, which
changes due to various economic, financial
and operational factors. Solar, wind and
hydro do not have recurring fuel cost.
However, the entire fuel cost goes into rural
economy. This is the biggest benefit of the
biomass sector, and thus the sector needs
to be looked at and addressed separately by
both regulators and policy makers.
In India, policy makers and regulators have
often overlooked the biomass segment and
that ignorance has hurt the real ‘Make in India’
sector. Wind and solar segments have made
significant progress in the last 3 to 5 years,
The disappointment stems more
from the fact that the biomass
sector is complete and fits into
the vision of ‘Make in India’. Its
operation provides strength and
momentum to the rural economy by
creating livelihood opportunities.
If the biomass power plants are
not able to operate properly, these
opportunities are also lost
and have received great attention from policy
makers with respect to future targets. On the
other hand, in the biomass secto, not only has
the installed capacity been forced to close down
due to continuous ignorance of its operation
requirements, but there has also been hardly
any capacity addition in the last 3 to 5 years.
Initially, there was hope from the biomass
sector that the new government would look
into its problems and initiate suitable policy
measures for its revival and promotion.
However, these expectations have not been
met, and despite fitting into the ‘Make in India’
philosophy and Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s vision, the biomass sector has not been
able to attract the desired attention.
ll Waiting for better
results
The only silver lining for the sector has
been the ‘task force recommendation and
the amending of biomass regulation by the
Central Electricity Regulatory Commission

(CERC)’. It has amended regulations including
the ‘Fuel Price Fixing Mechanism,’ which has
been the main hurdle for biomass operations
and growth. CERC regulations are, however,
regarded only as guiding parameters on which
the state regulators fix their regulations.
The challenge is to provide a level playing
operation condition for the biomass sector. The
biomass industry is looking forward to certain
policy measures to bring it back on track:
l Implementation of the CERC amended
regulations for the sector by all SERCs.
CERC has amended some of the parameters
based on a task force study, analysis and
recommendation, but there is still a struggle
by SERCs to adopt the revised regulations.
l Initiation of suitable policy measures for
reducing the cost of funds for biomass sector
through interest subvention support from
funds allocation from Ministry/NCEF. A
similar scheme has been launched by IREDA in
support by Ministry from NCEF funds wherein
30 per cent of the existing loan has been
converted to low cost interest of 2 per cent. The
biomass sector, which has been struggling to
meet bank interest and repayment, requires a
similar and specific scheme.
l Generation based incentive (GBI) for
biomass sector, as the fuel cost keeps on
fluctuating due to various factors. In order to
arrest the fuel price fluctuation and ensure
the operation, GBI is needed for the biomass
sector in its operation and promotion. GBI is
already being provided to wind sector.
l The revival of existing biomass
investment, which have all suffered losses
due to disconnects in regulations and policy
measures and are in huge financial stress
through suitable policy initiatives measures
from government. The sector and already
commissioned plants need a 3-5 year window
of specific incentive to provide them with an
opportunity to recover their past losses.
l Priority sector lending status to biomass
sector, since all biomass plants are located in
rural backward areas of the country. The fuel
it utilises is agriculture waste procured from
farmers and rural population, thus it enhances
the income of farmers and provides livelihood
opportunity to the rural people.
l The launch of the Biomass Mission for
which the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy (MNRE) has already prepared a vision
document. This is required to promote the
sector and must be initiated at the earliest.
The government must make it its
priority to look into this disconnect, as the
biggest sufferer because of this flaw is the
Biomass
biomass sector. Our Regulatory system is
overburdened and there is a need for policy
makers to look into it. The amount of time
any matter takes in our current ‘Regulation
system’ and process is very long. And biomass
sector where fuel has to be purchased every
day, any delay in correcting this disconnect is
only accumulating losses on a daily basis. It is
important for the government to introspect
and analyse how this could be rectified.
The Ministry of Power must get an
independent report prepared on regulation
processes and introspect how much time
it takes from the date the matter is filed to
decision/ adjudication. Merely setting up a
system and process of independent regulation
system is not enough. It is important to
ascertain whether the system is able to
perform its act properly for the process to
deliver and if it is not doing that, then there
is a need to look into it and make necessary
changes and ensure its effectiveness.
The biomass sector is optimistic and
is looking to the future with new hopes
and interest , ready to contribute towards
realising the vision of government’s ‘Make in
India’ initiative. The sector requires specific
focus for a period of 3-5 years to bring it
back on track.
The author is Secretary, Indian Biomass Power
Association & MD, Transtech Green Power Ltd.
(Views expressed by the author are personal)
May 2015 | Energy Next | 25
 cover

Not by Gigawatts alone!

India has set itself an ambitious target for generating solar power, which has
created a buzz in the green industry, visible at the recent Renewable Energy
Global Investors’ Meet & Expo (RE-INVEST). Dr Satish Balram Agnihotri
talks about the growing importance of renewables and calls for promotion of
innovation in this sphere
to a sizeable part of the subsidy burden in
two of our biggest subsidy guzzling sectors--
fertilizers (about `1 lakh crore per annum)
and petroleum products (about `60,000
crore). RE holds the key to considerable
inequality in the access and consumption of
basic energy as used in household lighting
and cooking, and the need for quality power
in rural industry.
But before looking at these RE specific
solutions, it is useful to take a look at the
nature of these inequalities, and put the
problem in perspective.
ll Access to electricity
cent household use electricity as source for
lighting is far less, compared to urban areas.
These figures on access to electricity for
lighting purposes do not reveal the story
of the inequality in levels of electricity
consumption. The relevant information is
based on NSSO data in terms of levels of
electricity consumption in urban and rural
areas at an all India level and within a state.
One can clearly see that the energy
consumption in the household in the top rural
decile is comparable to that consumed by the
household in the fourth urban decile.
Very interestingly, the divide between the
rural and the urban regions of a given state

T
for domestic lighting: tells one story, but there are also considerable
he leading lights of the India Inc, Most of us take electricity for domestic inequalities between states. The size of the
whether from the private sector, lighting as granted. In urban India this is two graphs has been kept proportionate to
public sector units or banks, a fair assumption. The number of districts the levels of energy consumed to give a ready
lined themselves up in placing with more than 85 per cent households using visual appreciation.
concrete pledges before the Prime Minister, electricity for lighting is high. However, our What these gaps clearly bring out is that a
committing themselves to the generation rural brethren may not be that lucky, given prosperous person in Jharkhand enjoys far
of green power. One must congratulate the that the number of districts where just 75 per less electricity compare to his counterpart in
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE) for the sheer magnitude, level and Percentage of households using electricity
reach of the event. for domestic lighting
It could not escape notice that the event
essentially became a Renewable Power Invest,
rather than Renewable Energy Invest. Even
within the power sector, the focus was almost
exclusively on the solar PV.
While there cannot be any dispute that
India should exploit its solar power potential,
MNRE needs to seriously ask itself whether it
has to remain just Solar MW centric, that too
grid oriented, or expand to other RE sources.
Does power availability in itself ensure access,
equity or efficiency? More importantly, does
it address the requirement of energy for >85% >75%
cooking, domestic lighting, industrial heating <85% <75%
and decentralized availability of power?
Ironically, renewable energy holds the key Data Source Census 2011

26 | Energy Next | May 2015


Haryana. In fact households in the second
poorest deciles in rural Haryana enjoy better
levels of electricity consumption compared
to households in the top prosperity decile in
rural Jharkhand!
It is also important to notice that the lack
of access to energy seems to affect specific
clusters. Let us take the example of lack of
access to electricity for domestic lighting.
Such households almost invariably use
kerosene for lighting. The map of India, shows
the districts where 50 per cent or more rural
households use kerosene for this purpose.
Data from Census 2011 indicates that
there are about 8 crore households in the
country still using kerosene as a source for
lighting. A recent survey, done in the course
of IIT Bombay’s programme for providing
1 million solar lamps to students who study
using kerosene lamps (supported by MNRE),
showed that a household typically uses 30-35
litres kerosene per year for lighting purpose.
Government pays a subsidy of about `33/
litre effectively, giving a subsidy of `1,000 to
`1,200 per family per annum.
If a onetime subsidy of `1,200 is given
instead to these households for a modest
solar home lighting system, the saving on the
kerosene subsidy for the next 5 years (which is
the battery life) will be `6,000 or a 400 per cent
return on investment!! This one time home
lighting subsidy is not, therefore, a charity. It is
an investment which must come from Ministry
of P&NG rather than from MNRE. It is also
worth noting that the annual subsidy bill on
kerosene is around `30,000 Crores and the
MNRE annual budget is about `2,500 crore.
The Bharat – India divide above is equally
glaring in the use of fuel for cooking.
Even today, 63 per cent of the rural and
20 per cent of urban households continue
to depend on firewood with far lesser
combustion efficiency as compared to Bio
gas or LPG. More disturbingly the LPG
penetration in rural areas is a paltry 11 per
cent. Nearly two crore households depend
upon cow dung cake as their fuel source. Yet,
MNRE programmes on bio gas and improved
cook-stoves are on the backburner!
Bio manure too represents the same story
of a meritorious source being looked down
upon as subsidy. A 2 cubic meter bio-gas plant
generates equivalent of about 80 kg of urea
therefore saving about `1,000 of subsidy per
annum based on urea subsidy of about `12
per kg. If Department of Fertilizer provides
additional subsidy of `3,000 for a 2 cubic
meter bio-gas plant they will start saving
`1,000 per annum, year on year from fourth
year onwards. It is important to promote
bio gas on a massive scale and even allowing
bag digesters which may last only 10 years.
With the decision of promoting sale of the
Phosphate Rich Organic Manure (PROM)
through the fertiliser industry, bio gas
RE holds the key to considerable
inequality in the access and
consumption of basic energy as used
in household lighting and cooking,
and the need for quality power in
rural industry
Expert Speak
economics becomes even more attractive and
saves subsidy and foreign exchange on import
of phosphetic fertiliser.
It is important, however, to introduce
innovations in the bio-gas technology. Two
efforts are worth mentioning. The first is the
recycling of the water after separation of the
slurry into semi-solids and the liquid portion.
This has been successfully tried out by the
Bharatiya Agro Industries foundation (BAIF)
using a small pump. The semi solid manure
can be phosphate enriched and sold.
A second promising innovation is in
the field of dry anaerobic fermentation at
higher temperatures, e.g. 48-50 degrees.
This has been tried out in the food waste
digestion e.g. at Akshyayapatra Bangalore,
and reduces the digestion time drastically
to 17-18 days, thereby bringing down the
digester cost as well.
MNRE needs to take serious cognizance
of such developments and promote these to a
massive scale in tandem with the Ministries of
Animal Husbandry and Fertilizer. The dairy
sector has come a long way and today the
Central ministry has a database of all private
farms who have 50 animals or more.
Likewise, the states have a database of
all “Progressive Farmers” supported by the
scheme of the Ministry to keep at least 10
pedigree cattle. All these must be covered
with bio-gas plant on a saturation basis. For
this, the MNRE needs to think in terms of
scale and go for a tender-based approach
for installation of bio-gas plants in a lot of
50 or 100 plants with a 5 year O&M cost
being built in. This will lower cost, boost
rural local employment and the use of
organic fertiliser. As the strategy for solar
PV has demonstrated, large and steady
volume of orders does bring the costs down
and reduces, if not eliminates, subsidy.
The lack of push to the improved cook-
May 2015 | Energy Next | 27
 cover
stove programme is another anomaly given
that even today 10.5 crore rural and 1.5 crore
urban households use firewood as fuel for
cooking. This has a consequent impact on
the environment and poses health hazard to
mother and children. Use of other biomass
like cattle dung and crop residue pose even
bigger health hazards. Ironically, even in Delhi
over one lakh households use firewood.
MNRE has remained preoccupied
with creation of standards and stringent
(some feel impractical) conditions on the
cook-stoves they want to support. What we
need is a nuanced approach. We need to
promote portable forced draft cook-stoves
wherever use of fire wood and availability
of electricity coincide, like they do in hilly
areas, urban areas and the north eastern
states (Agnihotri and Maithani, 2015 ibid).
Likewise, we need to push for chimneys
using earthen chulha in coastal areas where
there is stagnant air or inversion condition.
The chimneys trap the smoke from
household chulhas. Even retrofits like iron
grates and twisted tapes can, if optimized
for a local terrain, improve the efficiency of
cook-stoves substantially.
We finally come to biomass gasifiers.
There is a huge scope for use of these
gasifiers at a small scale (typically from
10-500 KW). In the telecom tower sector
itself, 4-5 lakh reliable, remotely controlled
and remotely monitorable bio-mass gasifiers
could replace diesel gensets. Furthermore,
for rural industrial applications, bio-
mass gasifiers of less than 1 MW size are
28 | Energy Next | May 2015
Districts with>50% rural
homes using kerosene
Source: Agnihotri and
Maithani 2015 (ibid))
economically viable. These applications
range from foundry, aluminum-based
industry, to biscuit, candle, perfumery
making, sodium silicate and glass
manufacturing and dyeing / silk reeling
and the ubiquitous puffed rice making. In
fact, in some cases, the payback period
without subsidy is claimed to be between
6-24 months. Biomass gasifiers also serve
the purpose of boosting the manufacturing
sector, creating local skilled employment
on a sustainable basis, saving fossil fuel and
paving the way for decentralised energy for
villages where the grid has not reached.
It is ironical that these gasifiers have
not been taken off on the scale that they
should have. A probable impediment is
lack of standardisation and upgradation
of technology. Thanks to the stringent
requirement of the telecom tower sector,
gasifiers with improved specifications are now
available. All that the MNRE needs to do is to
create specifications, develop vendor base
and offer a line of credit. It will be tragic if
the sector does not take off.
We have not touched upon a huge sector of
generating Gigajoules through solar steam and
hot water stored at high pressure for industrial
and institutional usage. There is a need to
address this need as the current practices involve
a sub-optimal use of fossil fuel. Besides, solar
thermal technology is much more compatible
with the philosophy of ‘Make in India’ and
needs shorter loan tenures as it reduces carbon
footprint. But it is also a massive topic and need
to be debated separately.
To sum up, the excessive emphasis of grid
centric GW power generation primarily
through solar PV may not be the optimal
policy for the MNRE to pursue. It shifts the
focus away from the much needed emphasis
on issues of energy access, inequalities thereof
and the issue of efficiency.
To partly rephrase the great Urdu poet Faiz:
‘aur bhi gham hain zamaane meiN Gigawatt
ke siwa
raahateiN aur bhi haiN faqat Grid ki raahat
ke sivaa
mujh se zid kar ke Megawatts, mere mehboob,
na maaNg’
The author is former secretary, MNRE
(Views expressed by the author are personal)
Source: Agnihotri and Maithani 2015 (ibid)
 Manufacturing

Needs to match
global standards
The NDA government intends to make India a manufacturing hub in the RE
sector. With a lot of focus being given to solar energy generation, the need for
creating a robust manufacturing base is of utmost importance. A report on the
current scenario of Indian solar manufacturing industry and the road ahead

P
rime Minister Narendra Modi’s
“Make in India” campaign attracted
global attention at the recently
concluded Hannover Messe- the
world’s leading trade fair for industrial
technology. It was heartening to see India
striking a positive chord with the global
investors, especially in the renewable energy
sector. Prime Minister’s call for making India
a manufacturing hub reverberated across
the fair. A lot of enthusiasm was seen at the
Indian pavilion, especially at the solar PV
manufacturing pavilion.
As the Government of India has
announced ambitious plans for the renewable
energy sector, the manufacturing segment
automatically attains significance. To fulfill
equipment and technological demands for
scaled up targets, the domestic manufacturing
industry has to wake up to the occasion. Piyush
30 | Energy Next | MAY 2015
Goyal, Minister for Power, Coal and News &
Renewable Energy, recently said in Parliament
that the government intends to make India a
hub for renewable energy manufacturing. He
said that the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy (MNRE) has been promoting private
investment in the sector through an attractive
mix of fiscal and financial incentives.
It is important to mention that the
solar energy sector has been accorded
the maximum attention with a target of
The ‘Make in India initiative is
critical to India’s energy security.
We missed the semiconductor
manufacturing revolution. We
should not miss solar
installing 100 GW over the next seven
years under the Jawaharlal Nehru National
Solar Mission (JNNSM). “The ‘Make in
India’ initiative is critical to India’s energy
security. We missed the semiconductor
manufacturing revolution. We should not
miss solar. Look at China; they have taken
giant steps and made rapid strides, and we
should do the same,” states Subramanya,
solar expert and former CEO of erstwhile
Tata BP Solar.

ll Battling for survival
The objective of the JNNSM was to establish
India as a solar energy hub, which not only
talked about project development but also
of creating favourable conditions for solar
manufacturing capabilities. A pertinent question
arises—do we have enough manufacturing
support/capabilities at the moment to fulfill the
demand? The answer is a big no!
The Indian domestic manufacturing
industry performed well till 2010, before
the prices crashed down due to oversupply
in the European and Chinese markets. The
Indian manufacturers couldn’t stand up
to the stiff competition from these foreign
players with respect to quantity as well as cost.
Industry estimates show that India’s module
manufacturing share has continuously declined
since 2010. At present, the solar PV cell
manufacturing capacity in the country is close
to 1,200 MW, while in case of modules it comes
to around 2,300 MW.
A ‘White Paper on Solar Manufacturing
Sector’ brought out by KPMG in collaboration
with Indian Solar Manufacturers’ Association
(ISMA) in 2014 highlighted the need for
a holistic policy to encourage domestic
solar manufacturing. It said that the solar
manufacturing industry was facing challenging
times due to various factors, including lack of a
level playing field and various global factors.
In the wake of scaled up solar energy
goals, there is need to create a conducive
environment for solar manufacturing industry,
with the involvement of both domestic and
foreign players. Earlier, in an interaction with
EnergyNext, Tarun Kapoor, Joint Secretary
at the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy (MNRE), had said that domestic solar
manufacturing in India was under stress due
to low prices in the international market and
competition from cheap foreign imports.
However, on an optimistic note he said that the
up-scaling of solar target to 100 GW by 2022
would infuse confidence in manufacturers,
as they can now expand capacities to attain
economies of scale.
A lot of enthusiasm has been noted in
recent times from foreign companies to set
up manufacturing units in India. US-based
SunEdison has been one of the first players
to grab the huge manufacturing opportunity.
It entered into an agreement with Adani
Enterprises to set up a solar PV manufacturing
facility in Gujarat with an investment of
`25,000 crore ($4 billion). The other big
players in the fray are China’s Trina Solar and
US-based First Solar, that are planning to set up
manufacturing facilities in India. This will also
boost the domestic Indian manufacturers to
wake up to the task.
ll The Way out
A number of manufacturers as well as ISMA
have voiced their concerns over the lack of
incentive provided to the Indian equipment
manufacturers. They say that Indian solar
manufacturing is competitive but suffers due
to lack of incentives that are provided to solar
manufacturers in other nations.
Dr Tobias Engelmeier, Director
and Founder, Bridge to India, bats for
competitiveness rather than protectionism.
He states, “Indian manufacturers have to
show a credible strategy to become globally
competitive. That means becoming cost and
innovation leaders in their fields. If that is the
case, it is worth supporting them in their initial
growth phase. If not, India is better off buying
cheaper and better equipment elsewhere.”
This approach was evident when the NDA
government under Prime Minister Narendra
Modi decided against imposing anti-dumping
duties on cheap imports from certain
countries. Rather than imposing duties, it
decided to scale up targets and also kept
aside some capacity to be built by sourcing
domestically manufactured modules.
On the policy front, the investors would
like to see long-term stability, ample business
Solar
opportunity and relatively increased ease
of doing business. Experts feel that the
government should encourage local sourcing,
adequate R&D activities, conducive policy
regime and create a mechanism where disbursal
of incentives is done on a timely basis.
Subramanya says, “Government should
create focused manufacturing clusters and
make it easy for entrepreneurs to establish
manufacturing entities. We need big, medium,
small and industries of all hues. There should
be no negative bias against anyone. In fact there
could be positive bias for all.”
The government has made its intentions
clear for a robust solar growth, both in project
development and manufacturing segments.
The ‘Make in India’ initiative aims to create an
environment that has a mix of both the domestic
and international flavours. The initiatives
are work in progress, and there is a positive
perception that transformation will happen.
On its part, the government has been
trying to provide the best offerings to the
investment community. The stage is set for
a major leap and it becomes imperative
for the manufacturing industry to respond
in adequate measure. They need to invest
massively, employ modern technology,
innovate and invest in R&D. They should keep
on innovating rather than following short cuts
for profit-- think long term while delivering
short term. “Strengthen quality standards and
formulate monitoring mechanisms. Product
and project bankability are key factors.
Showcase success stories, relish competition
and fear none,” concludes Subramanya.
May 2015 | Energy Next | 31
 Collaboration

Make in India! Don’t

miss the Bus!

Photo: IGEF/S.Trappe
Lately, renewable energy has come to acquire a great deal of significance in India
as it becomes clear that it will help meet the rising energy demand in the country.
Germany is playing a pivotal role in helping India set up various renewable energy
projects as well as the green energy corridor. Christoph Ernesti talks about the
recent visit of Indian Prime Minister to Germany and the market potentials for RE
in India explored by Indo- German Energy Forum at Hannover Messe

I
ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
came to the world’s largest industrial
fair in Hannover Messe with a large
high rank business delegation to make
a clear statement regarding the Indian market:
“Don’t miss the bus!” The “Make in India”
campaign intends to transform the country
into a global manufacturing hub and to attract
foreign investment from all over the world.
You couldn’t miss out on “Make in India” in
Hanover: there were billboards all over the
place and even stickers on taxis and public
buses. India was the exclusive partner country
of the “Hannover Messe” and the Indian Prime
Minister was willing to win the hearts and
minds of German industry bosses. Therefore
he got support from his German colleague,
Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel.
In a joint statement, they pointed
out that their common objective is “to
encourage greater synergies between German
engineering, experience in sustainable
development, innovation and skills, and the
new opportunities available in India through
‘Make in India’, ‘Clean India’, Digital India’ and
other initiatives towards achieving economic
growth and sustainable development”. Both
were also special honourable guests at the
“Indo-German Business Summit” on April 23,
the first day of the fair. Modi, usually dressed
in Indian ethnic wear, had put on a casual
business suit, and the German chancellor
welcomed spring in Germany with a yellow
costume. The atmosphere was friendly and
open, driven by mutual respect. The German
chancellor ended her speech with a friendly
reference to the Indian lion. So what has the
Indian lion to offer?
Following Modi, the last big domestic
market with more than 1 billion consumers
is waiting to be explored. India has one of the
youngest populations in the world with a high
motivated workforce willing to learn. Modi
assured every one of his personal support and
the support of his government. Due to Modi,
his government is on the way to rolling out
a red carpet for potential investors as he also
knows that opportunities can become a threat

32 | Energy Next | MAY 2015


and that he has to create at least 10 million
new jobs each year for the young workforce he
described so brilliantly before.
So, the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF)
took up the chance to look more deeply into
the market potentials for Renewable Energy
(RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) in India. On
April 14, IGEF offered in close collaboration
with the German Federation for Renewable
Energies (BEE) and the umbrella organization
of the Indian industry FCCI, a one-day
conference session on “Market Potentials and
Business Applications for Renewable Energies
& Energy Efficiency in India”. This allowed
German companies the opportunity to gain
firsthand information about the Indian market
on RE and EE.
The conference with high representatives
from German and Indian ministries and also
the private sector offered a good opportunity
to build up new relations, both business to
business and business to government. “Don’t
miss the bus!” was also the message of Upendra
Tripathy, Secretary of the Indian Ministry for
New and Renewable Energies (MNRE) who
opened the session together with Thorsten
Herdan, Director General of the Federal
Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
(BMWi). Ivan Saha, President of Vikram Solar
showcased what Indo-German cooperation
means directly after the start of the session. He
used the opportunity to sign MoUs between
his company and the Fraunhofer-ISE-Institute
as well as the German production equipment
Upendra Tripathy, Secretary MNRE with Thorsten Herdan from the German Federal Ministry of Energy
Following Modi, the last big domestic
market with more than 1 billion
consumers is waiting to get explored,
India has one of the youngest
populations in the world with a high
motivated workforce willing to learn
manufacturers Centrotherm AG and Meyer
Burger Global AG.
Another MoU was signed between the
Indian IPP Welspun Renewables and the
German iPLON GmbH on a 550 MW
solar project inclusive plant monitoring.
Dr. Wolfram Klein, Director of the Federal
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development (BmZ) gave a report on the
progress of the Green-Energy-Corridors-
Project financed with a credit line of more
than 1 billion Euro by KFW, the German
Development Bank.
Like in Germany, the hot spots of renewable
energy generation in India are mostly wind
and solar, usually far from the centers of
demand. Therefore, new inter and intra state
transmission lines must be built. The overall
estimation of necessary investment for these
Green Energy Corridors was about more
than 5 billion Euros so far. But, as the Indian
Government has set itself very ambitious
targets with 100 GW solar and 60 GW wind
already by 2022, the grid too must grow even
Photo: IGEF/S.Trappe
Hannover Meet
faster and much bigger. Germany expressed
its willingness to further support India on her
ambitious path into a green future by signing
a Letter of Intent regarding an “Indo-German
Solar Partnership”.
MNRE Secretary Upendra Tripathy,
and Director General Andreas Gies (BmZ)
jointly signed the document which says that
Germany is willing to finance through KFW
a nationwide PV solar rooftop program. The
final document shall be signed in October
when Chancellor Merkel arrives in Delhi for an
official visit.
Of most interest for representatives from
the business sector were the two industry
panel discussions during the day. High ranked
representatives of the Indian and German wind
and solar industry discussed the opportunities
of “Make in India”, with a special focus on
manufacturing RE technology in India and
possibilities of cooperation between German
and Indian companies regarding project
investment. Most interesting for the German
industry were the very positive statements by
most Indian green energy entrepreneurs. They
underlined the fast growth of the Indian solar
and wind market and showed their big interest
for cooperation on all levels of the value chain.
They were also convinced that the Indian RE
market is still in an early stage of development
and big enough for a lot of new players. The
Indian business community also expressed its
strong belief in PM Modi and his government.
The Modi government means growth to them
and they are expecting that existing barriers for
foreign investment or administrative obstacles
will be removed soon.
Over the whole day the session was well
attended. In the end, Welspun Renewables
hosted a reception which gave more room for
direct dialogue and exchange.
The author is Co-Director, Indo- German Energy
Forum Support Office
(Views expressed by the author are personal)
May 2015 | Energy Next | 33
 In Conversation

Policy changes to
boost wind sector INVEST), when we asked about investment
plans and commitments of all the companies,
we received commitments worth more
than 36 GW from the developers. We also
received similar commitment from turbine
manufacturers.
In short, it appears that the capacity to
produce 60 GW of wind power by 2022 is
very much there. I am very optimistic that
we would be able to accomplish the target.
However, it is not sufficient to have the
money and the turbine, we also need to have
the buyer; we need to have the market to
purchase the wind power. We need to have
policies in place that will help in absorbing
the wind power into the grid.

Do you think that India is well

The wind energy sector in India is gearing up to the
task of achieving the target of installing 60 GW of
equipped to absorb the envisaged
power to the grid?
Absorption of wind power has to be from the
purchase point of view as well as from the
grid point of view. Basically, there are three
ways by which wind can be absorbed as far as
the market is concerned. One is that the state
where wind power is being produced, that
state’s renewable purchase obligation (RPO) is
being met by the wind. More or less, on a ‘must

cumulative capacity by 2022. Despite some tough run basis’ the entire wind power produced at
wind farms is being absorbed by that particular
phase over the past few years, the sector is looking state. This is one model in which things have
been working.
forward to a positive future. Varsha Joshi, Joint In high wind states such as Gujarat and
Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Tamil Nadu, where the grid penetration
of wind is high and it is a substantial
speaks to Energy Next on various challenges and percentage of the total load, it is really

how the sector is poised to attain envisaged goals causing difficulty. In case of Tamil Nadu,
where the total requirement is hardly 11,000
to 12,000 MW, out of which 7,000 MW is

Q
The government has
enhanced the installation
target for the wind energy
sector to 60 GW by 2022. What is
the plan of action to achieve it?
India has already installed around 23 GW
of wind power capacity. So, what we are
really talking about is an additional 37 GW
of capacity by 2022. During the Renewable
Energy Global Investors` Meet and Expo (RE-
wind and which is extremely variable, then
it will cause problem in the grid. Similar
situation is prevalent in Gujarat.
On the other hand, wind is a precious source
of renewable energy and we cannot just do

34 | Energy Next | May 2015


away with it by saying that it is a variable source
or intermittent in nature. This approach cannot
be adopted, and we need to find a way so that
wind energy can be absorbed not only by that
state but also by other states. Hence, wind
power can be sold firstly through the state level
RPO limit by the state distribution companies;
then through open access within the state and
outside the state; and finally for fulfilling RPO
targets of other states.
Fulfilling the RPOs of other states could
be through the renewable energy certificate
(REC) route or through the actual purchase of
electricity as well. Now that the ‘Green Energy
Corridor’ is coming up, we would expect that it
should be more and more feasible for the inter-
state transmission to happen and open access
and inter-state sale of wind power to discoms
of other states should be more practical.
There has been a lot of talk about
scheduling and forecasting of
wind energy for stability of grid.
What is the government doing in
that respect?
The most important thing without which at
this stage nothing can happen is scheduling
and forecasting. We are putting all our efforts
to push towards a regime where scheduling
and forecasting is physically possible and fully
accepted by all the stakeholders, whether it is
the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC),
SLDC, or even the project developers.
I am very happy to say that at this stage we
are in a situation where we know the kind of
requirement that scheduling and forecasting
will have. We have a good idea of what kind
of results we can expect from it. The Central
Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)
is also coming up with an alternative scheme
for inter-state transmission and more or less
in the market, you would not find a developer
who can say that he cannot schedule or forecast
or ‘I am not willing to do it’. The SERCs will
hopefully bring similar regulations for intra-
state transmission.
So, now it is a matter of getting all the
threads together and getting things started.
We are also getting a pilot started with the
Indian Wind Power Association (IWPA) in
which all the wind stations of Tamil Nadu
will be covered. This will be a joint effort of
National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE),
which will provide the forecasting services,
the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution
Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO), which
houses the SLDCs and the IWPA will do the
bulk of financing of the requirements.
Gujarat has already proved over the
last couple of years that scheduling and
forecasting is very much possible but the basic
infrastructure needs to be in place. There has
Varsha Joshi
to be state wise Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition (SCADA); and all wind project
developers must agree to provide data. The
SLDCs will have to be equipped with the
forecasting facility and with enough capacity
building they will be able to generate the
schedule properly.
Thus, we see that Gujarat has a great model
and with the Tamil Nadu experiment, we hope
to set up a sustainable model which other states
can also replicate. Almost all the states are now
willing to come on board.
Are we seeking any international
assistance from the perspective
of scheduling and forecasting?
A part of the Green Energy Corridor (GEC)
project is under the GIZ and they have
prepared a detailed report after visiting states
where this will be set up. We have some
of the most prestigious institutions in the
world related to scheduling and forecasting.
Participating in the scheduling and
forecasting is the Fraunhofer Institute,
University of Oldenburg, and Ernst and
Young. They are providing their expert
advice on the matter, and their technical
assistance will help us make use of the
latest technology. NIWE has tied up
with Vortex of Spain for developing a
forecasting Model for India.
May 2015 | Energy Next | 35
 In Conversation
Wind is a precious source of renewable
energy and we cannot just do away with
it by saying that it is a variable source
or intermittent in nature
What steps are being taken
to ensure that the power
produced from wind energy
and other RE projects is fed
into the grid and not wasted?
The GEC project is one of the top priorities.
We are certainly hopeful that National
Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) clearances
happen quickly. From KfW side we are
getting a lot of support and the projects are
all ready from the side of the states. Apart
from the states, the PGCIL is taking up a lot
of transmission related activities. It may be
a temporary problem for a year or two, and
I do not expect evacuation and transmission
to be a major problem. Scheduling and
forecasting is absolutely crucial for wind
power and we are working towards it. This
angle will be well taken care of.
The Indian wind energy sector
has primarily been an incentive
driven industry. Don’t you think
that it is high time that the
industry becomes sustainable
on its own?
It is an incentive driven industry to
the extent that we are providing the
accelerated depreciation (AD), we are
giving the generation based incentive
(GBI) and we are providing the feed-
36 | Energy Next | May 2015
in-tariff (FiT). All three of them have
a certain incentive attached to them.
However, AD is something which is given
to such a huge list of components in
industries across the board, and is not only
related to the power sector. So, AD is a
very general thing and we should not call it
as an incentive which is only specific to the
wind energy sector. Despite the fact that
it has provided boost to the wind energy
sector, there was a time when there was
neither AD nor the GBI. There was decline
in wind installation but it did not stop. It
was not that it would completely fall down
or go away without incentives.
Also if we talk about FiT as an incentive,
then Tamil Nadu provides the cheapest
power at `3.50. So, we cannot say that FiTs
are necessarily a huge favour which the
government is doing to the industry because
it is basically a cost plus calculation and all
of us are aware about it. GBI is also a limited
incentive. It is not something that it adds
up to a huge proportion per developer. I
would say that wind energy to a great extent
already stands on its own and once the RPO
enhancement happens and the open access
becomes more feasible across the states, the
dependence on government incentives will
reduce. I am confident that wind energy in
India will stand by itself after a few years.
In the Budget 2014-15, AD was
reinstated; however, it has
been observed that there has
only been a minor increase in
the installation figures. Why is
that so?
AD came in really late, around the month
of September 2014, and by then people
must have made their investment plans.
This can be one reason why it did not
cause difference either way. I probably feel
some impact of it will be felt next year.
More importantly, I feel that rather than
the incentive of the Government of India,
it is the policy of the state governments
and the situation of the industry itself,
which drives the growth of the industry.
The states which have had more conducive
policies got more investment in wind
power. Today, we see that Madhya Pradesh,
Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan have more
hot destinations for wind power. It is the
combination of the two, which is more
important than purely the incentives.
In order to achieve the target
of installing 60 GW of wind
capacity by 2022, there is
need to install more than 5GW
capacity every year. Are you
optimistic that the target will
be achieved?
The transmission infrastructure takes
much longer to be set up as compared
to the wind farms. The Power Ministry
has been chasing us to give them the
transmission plan so that they can set up
the infrastructure at the earliest. In that

context, the state governments have given
their respective wind installation targets.
The states have the land, they have the
capacity, evacuation is going to come up
and it is now really the question of how the
wind is really going to be sold rather than
anything else.
It has been observed that
a number of state utilities
are reluctant to sign power
purchase agreements with
the wind project developers,
giving out wrong signals to
prospective investors. What is
government doing to address
that issue?
We are aware of the fact that the
distribution companies (DISCOMS) are
not in very good shape so every state
government is under pressure to meet
the renewable energy targets as well as
protect the finances of the DISCOMS. It
is ultimately the dialogue between the
developers and the states which will
resolve the issue. However, we are doing
our best to facilitate the dialogue wherever
it is possible.
How do you rate the initiatives
of the state governments so
far, and what is MNRE doing
to create a synergy between
Central and state governments
to accomplish ambitious RE
goals?
Developing a synergy between the Centre
and the states was discussed at length
at the recently concluded conference of
power ministers in Guwahati. A lot of
side dialogues also took place with regard
to resolving issues of the states. We have a
new body called Association of Renewable
Energy Agencies of States (AREAS), which
is the forum on which more dialogues
can take place. The states are trying to
talk to each other more and I am trying
to personally visit each and every state to
find out what the issues are so that we can
resolve it.
India announced its first off-
shore demonstration project
a few months back. What are
government’s plans for the off-
shore wind energy development
in the country?
We are trying to reach a situation as far
as off-shore is concerned so that we can
go in for bidding. While it is the very first
project, it should not be a very tiny pilot
because the technology is already well
proven. It is a matter of adapting, and
we are likely to go in for medium-sized
Varsha Joshi
projects. Studies are being undertaken.
The off-shore policy is almost ready and
it will soon go to the Cabinet for the
approval. It is likely that by the middle of
next year we should be in a position to
know how we are going to bid. At least the
basics should be in place by then.
Do you think that RE-
INVEST-2015 has changed
the perspective of the global
community towards the Indian
wind energy sector?
It goes without saying that RE-INVEST
was a huge success and a phenomenal
experience. It has given very huge visibility
and the main thing is that it brought in
new players. Wind already has a large
number of players in India and the kind of
expansion that we are looking at, we need
more players. I think on the whole RE-
INVEST encouraged more players to come
forward. We are looking forward to give
them full policy support.
How do you foresee the Indian
wind sector in the coming
years?
We are in the process of revising the
wind potential and it is expected to be
completed soon. Everyone knows that
the potential is very high since we are
now going at 100 to 120-metre level. We
are expecting that the wind potential
report would give a lot of clarity about
the potential which will be mapped onto
the land. We are hoping to develop a
more precise data and the cost to the
government. I am hoping that this study
will also make a huge difference to the
overall setting up of the wind energy
projects.
We are also exploring the possibility
of solar-wind hybrid projects. The wind
potential report is also going to give us
some idea where the solar-wind hybrid
potential is higher. We expect it to be
better not only from the grid stability
point of view but round-the-year energy
generation will also be more stable. This
will help in improving grid stability and
give better output per unit of land. A lot
of states are showing interest in setting up
solar-wind hybrid projects.
May 2015 | Energy Next | 37
 Innovation

Wheeling wind power

It is often said that necessity is the mother of invention. The students of Kalindi
College of University of Delhi mooted the idea of tapping wind at the underground
Delhi metro stations, after they witnessed the gush of wind from a metro train that
passed while they were standing on the platform. Richa Kapoor takes a look at the
project, which also saw the involvement of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

W
hile waiting for a train
at the platform of an
underground metro station
in Delhi, one feels the
strong gust of wind blow over one’s face as soon
as the train arrives. However, did we know that
this wind has the potential to generate green
power at the metro stations?
It is this option that a few students from
Delhi University’s Kalindi College decided to
explore— the potential to convert the energy
of these high velocity winds into electricity by
making use of a wind turbine. They arrived at
the idea of installing small wind turbines on the
side tracks of underground route in order to
tap the wind produced from fast moving trains
and convert it into electricity.
Speaking about the idea, Tulika, one of the
students involved in the project, said, “Initially
we thought of installing wind turbines on both
the sides of highways and then on the side of
the railway tracks. However, we realised that
neither would installing them on the side of the
railway tracks was safe nor was the frequency
of the trains too high. It is only when, one day
while returning from college, we noticed that
the wind at the underground platform of the
metro station was blowing at high speed that
we thought of utilising it to produce power.”
On how they chose the place to set up
the turbines, Dr Punita Verma, Principal
Investigator of the project, said, “We
surveyed different metro tracks and found
that an underground metro would be the
best place to install the turbines as the wind
speed was highest there with respect to
elevated metro tracks.”
ll Context
The conventional way to generate electricity
requires the use of petroleum products or coal
and generates unwanted heat for the production
of energy. This also leads to the emission of
various toxic gases and waste products, causing
harm to the environment. Environmentalists
are of the view that at the present level of
exploitation, the coal deposits will last till
2080. Whatever will be left over will be coal of
poor quality with less than 40 per cent carbon
content—unsuitable for electricity production.
However, wind turbines are power
generating machines which use wind as the
source of energy to generate green power and
hence green electricity.
S A Verma, Additional General Manager-
Environment at the Delhi Metro Rail
Corporation (DMRC), played a pivotal role
in guiding the students as they undertook the
project. “The fast blowing wind at the metro
station can be used to rotate the turbine,

38 | Energy Next | MAY 2015

 students -DMRC collaboration

which turns the magnet inside a coil (a type

of generator). The wind has kinetic energy
(energy possessed by any moving body)
which is converted into mechanical energy
by the blades of the turbine. The turbine
then turns a generator which transforms the
mechanical energy into electrical energy. The
turbine is usually connected by a gearbox to
help control the speed with which it turns the
generator”, he said.

ll Objective
The objective of the project was to study the
feasibility of utilising the high velocity wind
that blows in the underground Delhi Metro
stations to generate electricity by using a wind
turbine and a generator or a battery for power
storage. The other objective is to perform
computer simulations for the amount of
power generated (in kWh per day per turbine)
from fast running Delhi Metro trains and the
involved costs.
Finally, the aim is to tap the power produced
for making the metro station/s self-sustainable
with regards to electricity.

ll Challenges
While undertaking any project, one is bound
to face various problems. However, hurdles did
not deter these students from accomplishing
their task.
According to Dr Verma, the biggest
challenge faced by the team was paucity of
space. “The students were asked to use the
computer lab only after college hours, which
was not sufficient for the Herculean work
involved. The internet facility was available
for a limited time only and not where the
computers were available in the department.
We had only one laptop and that too only in
the second year. Work progressed slowly on
personal computers and mostly at our homes.
We also faced a paucity of space regarding
all the material related to the project such
as stationery, models, research files, etc.” she
further added.
The point of having less space to execute
the project was reiterated by Tulika, Vernika,
Sanya and Sakshi, who worked on the project
day in and day out along with their other
principal investigator Dr Savita Roy. The other
team members who also put in their heart and
soul in the project are Abha Sharma, Charul
Goel, Geeta, Himanshi Bansal, Kanika Tyagi,
Students of Kalindi College with wind turbine prototype
Karishma Thakran, Madhuri Ganguly, Rashmi
Jha, Ruchika Gupta, from the department of
Physics of Kalindi College.
None of the wind turbine companies were
willing to provide a customised turbine for
the project. The students did not let their
enthusiasm die, working even harder to also
build the turbine they required themselves.
Vernica, who was involved in the project,
stated, “When we asked the vendors to send
us turbine as per our need, we were not able to
get it. So we bought a turbine on our own and
redesigned it as per our requirement.”
The other challenge was the funding of the
project. During the first year of the project,
The fast blowing wind at the metro
station can be used to rotate the
turbine, which turns the magnet
inside a coil (a type of generator)
S A Verma
i.e in 2012, University of Delhi provided
financial assistance worth `10 lakh. Then
`5 lakh was provided from November 2013
to March 2015. While there was sufficient
money in the first year, there wasn’t enough
in the second. Dr Verma further opined,
“All expenditures have to follow general
financial guidelines of the government which
ties the hands of a scientist, hampering free
research or delaying it to an extent which is
not conducive for the progress of science.”
ll Execution of the project
The road to the project’s execution was not
easy. The entire project involved the study of

May 2015 | Energy Next | 39

 Innovation | students -DMRC collaboration
A 500 watt Horizontal axis wind
turbine (HAWT) was procured after
examining different types of wind
turbines which were available in
the market
different types of wind turbines, shapes and
sizes of blades, optimal velocity of trains for
best results, type of battery required for power
storage, etc. An extensive literature survey
was conducted to investigate the parameters
influencing electricity generation from wind
and the relevant data was collected.
Delhi Metro tracks and platforms were
surveyed. Wind velocity at different Delhi
metro stations was measured using an
anemometer. After careful investigations,
the length of the blade required for a wind
turbine was proposed to be 30 cm and the
power generated was calculated theoretically
using the same.
The choice of blades and their design were
decided keeping in mind that there should
be minimisation of vibrations in blades to
ensure efficient and appropriate designing
of blade structure. This would help in the
reduction of losses due to vibrations. It would
also contribute towards low cost and high
stability. The natural frequency of blades had
to be different from the harmonic vibrations
associated with rotation of the rotor. This was
essential to avoid resonance.
The objective was to maximise the output
power generated, which in turn depended on
the optimum shape of the blades.
There was a need to minimise the blade
40 | Energy Next | MAY 2015
material cost: using suitable material, weight
minimization had to be carried out. The mass
and fabrication of cost of blades depends on
parameters such as the amplitude of blade
vibrations. In order to increase the efficiency,
there was need for local and global stability of
the blade structure and this could be ensured
only if the weight was maximised.
It was imperative to meet the strength
requirement of the blade structure.
To meet the strength requirements of
structure, the optimisation of maximum
displacements of the blade in transverse
direction had to be carried out with the
limiting condition that permissible stress not
be exceeded.
After the students undertook the survey
of Delhi metro trains, platforms and tracks,
they arrived at two possible positions for
the installation of wind turbines. A 500
watt Horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT)
was procured after examining the different
types of wind turbines which were available
in the market. It was installed at one of
the underground metro stations under
DMRC’s supervision. It was found that the
blade length was too small to tap sufficient
wind to make the rotor move. The three
bladed systems which are the most efficient
configuration in an open area of large wind
turbines are not suitable for this place. So,
the students designed a turbine with the
following features:-
i) Light weight Rotor.
ii) Multiple blades.
iii) Cut in velocity 1.5 m/s at that particular site.
The most important aspect of the project
was to get adequate support from the
DMRC. According to the students of
Kalindi Kunj, initially there was reluctance
on the part of the DMRC to allow the
execution of the project. However,
after a period of time, DMRC decided
to support the project. Verma, a senior
official at DMRC, opined, “DMRC agreed
to place the turbine on experimental
basis after assessing the risk. DMRC
provided guidance on the placement
where maximum wind energy is found
without compromising the safety of train
operations. It provided other logistics and
support throughout the experimental stage.”
On an experimental basis, the wind
turbine was installed at the Chawri Bazar
metro station. All data related to rolling
stocks, tracks, tunnel dimensions, wind
velocity and other technical parameters
were shared with the students. Other than
the mentor, two experienced DMRC
engineers were associated throughout
the experimentation stage to provide
valuable inputs during the experiment.
Dr Verma of Kalindi College accepted the
fact that adequate support was given to them
by DMRC which has also assured assistance
in the near future. She stated, “Extensive
support has been promised by DMRC in
the future as regards engineering know
how, collection of further data and testing at
metro stations is concerned.”
Dr Verma, along with her team,
expressed their gratitude to their Principal
Dr Anula Maurya for extending support to
the whole team.
If the project is executed on a large scale
in the coming days, it will not only lead to
substantial reduction in fuel consumption and
environmental pollution but will also cut down
the electricity bill.
It is worth mentioning that the project
of the students was selected as the “Best
Innovative Idea” by industrialists at
ANTARDHWANI 2015, the annual cultural
festival of University of Delhi.
 Event | Earth Day

For a sustainable cause!

ll PM Modi calls for various parts of the world at the Global the Creator: the Earth is an environment
protecting Earth Citizen 2015 Earth Day event on the to be safeguarded, a garden to be
On the occasion of Earth Day, Prime US National Mall, in Washington DC. cultivated.”
Minister Narendra Modi in his tweets The Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day was Francis added, “The relationship
to the nation said: “Caring for the organized by the Earth Day Network and of mankind with nature must not be
environment is an integral part of our Global Poverty Project to educate and conducted with greed, manipulation and
ethos. India can truly show the way to the energise people to support development exploitation, but it must conserve the divine
world in mitigating climate change.” and environmental issues. harmony that exists between creatures and
“Earth Day is the perfect occasion On the occasion, musicians from China Creation within the logic of respect and
to reaffirm our commitment to keep and US performed an original score to a care, so it can be put to the service of our
our planet clean, green and focus on multimedia presentation. The objective brothers, also of future generations.”
sustainable development,” Modi said, was to convey the message that there is
adding that “We belong to a culture” that need to bring an end to pollution so that ll NASA celebrates Earth Day
believes in the mantra – “earth is our people could lead healthy life. On the occasion of Earth Day, the US
mother and we are her children. Caring space agency NASA, released some of the
for the environment is an integral part of most FANTASTIC images and a stunning
our ethos. India can truly show the way to ll Pope urges to safeguard Earth video of planet Earth as captured from
the world in mitigating climate change,” On the occasion of the 45th Earth Day, the International Space Station (ISS).
Modi said. Pope Francis said at the General Audience The US space agency urged the people
in St. Peter’s Square, “ “I exhort everyone to send them videos, messages, instagram
ll Ban Ki-moon bats for to see the world through the eyes of God pictures celebrating our world, with
sustainable future the hashtag #NoPlaceLikeHome. NASA
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon created a Facebook page dedicated to
called on the global community to “build the #NoPlaceLikeHome project and also
a sustainable and resilient future” on provided full coverage on its redesigned
International Mother Earth Day web site.
Wednesday.
“We can never outgrow ll Suzlon marks Earth Day
our reliance on Mother Suzlon marked the
Earth,” said Ban in International Earth Day
a message to mark to increase awareness on
the day. “This protecting the planet
dependence makes and appreciating Earth’s
it all the more natural environment.
astonishing that Speaking on the
we have allowed occasion, Tulsi R Tanti,
rapid and often Chairman, Suzlon
unwise human Group said, “We believe
development to that environment
disrupt so many of sustainability is the
the delicate systems only way to shape and
that have functioned protect our future. The
harmoniously for initiatives on the occasion
millennia.” of International Earth Day
are small steps to encourage
ll Musicians celebrate our employees to come together,
Earth Day towards building a sustainable and
Government officials from different favourable ecosystem to provide better
countries joined top musicians from world to our children.”

May 2015 | Energy Next | 41

 State Perspective
Sunny side UP
To fight acute power shortages and meet the increasing
power demands, the Uttar Pradesh government has
embarked on a renewable energy drive, with special focus
on solar energy. The state is working towards creating
conducive environment for private sector investment.
Energy Next reports
A
t the Hannover trade fair in
Germany, the Uttar Pradesh
(UP) representatives, led by
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav,
promoted the cause of solar and other forms
of renewable energy in the state. The Chief
Minister’s visit to the solar PV manufacturing
pavilion at the meet clearly reflects the state’s
intentions for solar power development.
Yadav cited the state’s Solar Policy 2013
and Solar Rooftop Policy 2014 as potential
vehicles to propel solar energy in the state. He
also added that the state government has set
aside `29,000 crore for the renewable sector.
A major share of this amount has been set for
solar energy development.
The state government had also made a
strong pitch for investment in solar energy
during the first Renewable Energy Global
Investors’ Meet & Expo (RE-INVEST-2015),
held in New Delhi from February 15-17,
2015. In the presentations made by the
senior officials, the emerging opportunities
in solar energy were highlighted and
investors were promised optimum support
from the government.
ll Potential & opportunity
Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in India as far
as population is concerned, is struggling to
42 | Energy Next | April 2015
meet its increasing power demand. The state
is among the top consumers of electricity
per annum, and the demand is increasing
at an average rate of 12 per cent. In order to
address acute power shortage and bring down
reliance on fossil fuel based power generation,
the government has decided to harness solar
power potential.
Uttar Pradesh has vast potential for
harnessing solar energy. Most parts of the
state receive good solar radiation throughout
the year with an average daily radiation
in the range 5.0 kWh/ square metre to 5.5
kWh/ square metre. According to data from
the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE), the estimated solar power potential
in the state is around 23,000 MW.
The state government launched ‘Solar
Power Policy Uttar Pradesh 2013,’ which
offers numerous incentives to solar power
entrepreneurs and companies to set up
solar projects both in the grid-connected
and off-grid space. The objective of the
solar policy is to augment solar power
generation and consumption in the state and
contribute towards sustainable development.
It also intends to attract investments in
manufacturing, research & development in
solar energy sector.
Besides this, the ‘Solar Rooftop Policy 2014’
adds a further impetus to the whole initiative,
calling for setting up of rooftop solar PV
systems for self consumption, the surplus
power from which can be fed into the grid.
Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy
Development Agency (UPNEDA) is the
designated nodal agency for setting up solar
power projects in the state.
ll Grid-connected projects
under Solar Policy
The ‘Solar Policy 2013’ in effect till March 31,
2017, aims to install 500 MW of solar power
capacity by 2017; a good target in wake of the
dismal performance in solar energy in the
state. Solar power plants approved, installed
and commissioned during this period will
be eligible for benefits from this policy. The
minimum capacity of solar project eligible for
incentives is 5 MW.
In the first phase of bidding, a total of
130 MW capacity project were allotted to
project developers through the bidding route
in August 2013. The Uttar Pradesh Power
Corporation Limited (UPPCL) will buy the
power generated at the solar power projects
at quoted tariffs that range from `8.01 per
unit to `9.33 per unit. The power purchase
agreement (PPA) will be for a period of 12
years and can be extended for another 13 years
 Uttar Pradesh

on the willingness of project developers about `8.93 per unit to `9.33 per unit. As per potential using the unutilised space on
average pool price cost (APPC) prevailing in the proposal, these projects are also to be rooftops and wastelands around buildings.
eleventh year of agreement. All the allotted set up in the Bundelkhand region, with a The primary objective is to fight erratic
projects in the first phase are being developed commissioning deadline of September 2016. power supply by bringing down the
in the Bundelkhand region of the state, and it is reliance on grid power and doing away
estimated that around 90 MW of projects will ll Grid-connected rooftop with diesel gen-sets. This move will also
be commissioned by June 2015. solar lead to creation of skilled manpower and
In the second phase, a total of 105 MW The Solar Rooftop Policy 2014 aims to employment opportunities. It is proposed
capacity were allocated to five project harness the huge solar power generating that the solar rooftop systems up to 50
developers in January 2015, and PPAs kW will be promoted under ‘net energy
signed by UPPCL at the price range between metering’ mechanism and those above 50
kW will be promoted under the ‘net energy
billing’ mechanism.
Features of the The net-metering policy aims to promote
Solar Policy deployment of rooftop solar PV plants
 Targeted capacity installation of for captive/self-consumption purposes in
500 MW grid-connected capacity residential areas, government offices, state
by 2017. government owned or aided institutions.
 Single window clearance through The policy allows the solar rooftop owners to
nodal agency UPNEDA. integrate their rooftop systems with the grid so
 UPPCL to sign PPA with successful bidders for a period of 12 years. that the excess power left after consumption
 PPA’s extendable for further 13 years on prevailing APPC in the 11th year of PPA. can be fed into the distribution grid.
 13-month time limit for commissioning of projects up to 25 MW; and 18 months UPNEDA is the nodal agency for
for projects above 25 MW. implementation of grid-connected solar
 Nodal agency to facilitate allotment of suitable land/space in control of state
rooftop systems in the state. The nodal
government or its agencies.
agency will help avail subsidy from Central
 State to bear expenditure on construction of transmission line & substations.
 All incentives available under Infrastructure and Industrial Policy-2012. government as well as assist in empanelling
 Special incentive on case to case basis for solar farms where investment is more system integrators, identifying feasible
than `500 crore. sites/roofs, allotting solar power capacities,
recommending and specifying fee and

April 2015 | Energy Next | 43

 State Perspective | Uttar Pradesh

The policies not only intend to promote

power generation from solar power proj-
ects, but also aim to promote local manu-
facturing facilities and support employ-
ment opportunities in the process
charges and obtaining approvals from programmes in the off-grid segment to provide
empowered committee. energy access in the rural and remote locations.
The government aims to achieve a target The programmes on solar street lighting
of installing 20 MW of cumulative capacity systems, solar power packs for poor families,
in the grid-connected rooftop solar segment solar pumping systems for irrigation, solar
by 2017, which happens to be the operative mini-grids, village electrification, etc have been
period of the policy. The target for public going on in the state.
institutions is 10 MW while equal capacity has According to government data, over 88,000
been earmarked to private institutions. The houses developed under Dr Ram Manohar
target of 20 MW is termed by several experts Lohia Awas scheme for poor families have been
as a meagre target, however, the government electrified through solar power packs of 120
has assured them of periodic revisions as and watt capacity each. Likewise, more than 1 lakh
when required. solar street lighting systems have been installed
in rural areas for community lighting.
ll Off-grid solar The off-grid/decentralised solar
Besides aggressive plans to tap solar potential applications are not only vehicles of energy
in the grid-integrated space, UP is access in rural areas, but they also open up
also running several huge investment opportunities for technology
providers, product manufacturers and social
Features of Rooftop
Solar Policy
 Policy to remain in force till 2017.
 Targeted capacity is 20 MW by 2017.
 Public institutions & private institutions to
contribute 10 MW each.
 Rooftop PV systems to be integrated with
distribution grid.
 Net energy metering for systems up to 50 kW.
 Net energy billing for systems above 50 kW.
 UPNEDA to facilitate deployment of projects.
entrepreneurs. Battling with acute power
shortage and erratic power supply in remote
and rural areas, the off-grid solar application
is turning out to be the best alternative for
meeting the lighting and cooking needs of the
people in an efficient manner.
ll The road ahead
The primary objective of the solar grid-
connected policy and rooftop policy is
to promote generation and use of solar
energy through an appropriate investment
climate which could stimulate private sector
participation. The policies not only intend
to promote power generation from solar
power projects, but also aim to promote
local manufacturing facilities and support
employment opportunities in the process.
The state government is trying to address
the energy security concerns by using the
vast solar potential that exists across the state.
The respective policy initiatives in the grid-
connected, rooftop and off-grid segments are
a means to enable capacity building activity
with optimum utilisation of solar technology in
generating clean and sustainable power.

44 | Energy Next | April 2015

 Interview | Sunil Sikka

LED: Effective future

lighting solutions
With pro-active steps taken by the government, Indian lighting industry
is poised for an unprecedented growth. Sunil Sikka, President – Havells
India Limited and currently President of Electric Lamp and Component
Manufacturers’ Association of India, speaks to Energy Next about the current
status and future of LED lighting in India
India so far?
Consumers understood the importance
of energy efficiency and India became the
second largest manufacturer of CFLs in the
world after China. LEDs have entered the
market 2-3 years back but we can already
see clearly that they shall not only drive and
dominate the lighting market but also help in
growth of the market significantly by 2020.
LEDs are going to marginalise all other light
sources and become synonym of lighting in
the next five years.
I think the change came too briskly and
caught the industry napping while most
government has taken everyone by surprise.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister,
Narendra Modi, the Government has initiated
a large scale programme on 5th January, 2015
which entails replacing GLS lamps with LED
retrofits and replacing them with LED street
light fittings in a phased manner.
With this initiative the demand has been
created, while the Industry has yet to gear
-up to meet the enhanced demand.
How do you rate the LED
manufacturing in India as
compared to other global

Q
How do you see the of the manufacturers were stuck on with markets?
evolution of lighting conventional lighting. Pro-active action by A retrofit LED lamp can be divided in three
industry in India? Do you
think that the LEDs are the real
lighting solutions for future?
Solid State Lighting has been evolving over
the years. However, application in general
lighting has found acceptance only 3-4
years back. This happens to be disruptive
technology as it scores over the conventional
lighting both in efficiency and longevity.
The pace of change all over the world has
been higher than what was expected initially.
You would recall that in the 1990s, Compact
Fluorescent Technology came into being all
over the world. However, it became popular
in India ten years later when the Indian
Lighting Industry geared up its manufacture
of quality lamps and restriction were
imposed against low cost Chinese imports.

How satisfied are you with the

development in LED lighting in

May 2015 | Energy Next | 45

 Interview
major parts. First part is LED Chip, Lens &
Optics. While second part is housing/heat
sink, which dissipates the heat generated, the
third part is the driver which is an electronic
circuit, heart of LED.
Chip manufacturing is cost prohibitive
and is IP protected. Only a handful of
international companies are into chip
manufacturing, which contributes to
twenty per cent of the raw material cost
of a retrofit LED Lamp. Balance cost is
divided between housing, driver and optics.
India can develop adequate competency
in manufacturing these items and can
contribute over fifty per cent value addition
under `Make in India’ norms.
If, the scale is right, there shall be
no comparative disadvantage to India
manufacturing. We shall be as competitive
as any other country.
Do you think that the `Make in
India’ initiative will help the LED
industry scale new heights?
I see no reason why it can’t. Our country has
the basic infrastructure of manufacturing,
availability of low cost skilled manpower and
growing demand for the next five years from
I think the change
came too briskly
and caught the
industry napping
while most of the
manufacturers
were stuck up
with conventional
lighting. Pro-
active action by
government has
taken everyone
by surprise under
the leadership of
Prime Minister,
Narendra Modi
46 | Energy Next | MAY 2015
domestic market, as well as export potential
due to our devalued currency.
The light market is estimated to
grow to `21,000 crore by 2020,
where LED market will have a
share of around 60 percent. To
achieve that target, what policy
initiatives are you looking
forward to?
Government is already working proactively in
creation of demand, which is a very healthy
sign. Understanding the need of Energy
Efficient products, government should
encourage production by levying least GST
and taxation to encourage Entrepreneurs/
Industry and ultimately consumers.
What according to you are the
major bottlenecks in the growth of
the Indian LED lighting industry?
The only temporary bottleneck that I see
is that industry is behind the time lines
in terms of gearing up production and
now that the Standards for Quality are in
place, industry should ensure right quality
production and adherence to standards to
get best value of savings. Standardisation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the scheme for LED bulbs in New Delhi
should be compulsory rather than voluntary.
The cheap LED imports,
especially from China, are
perceived as deterrent to the
Indian LED industry. How do you
assess the situation?
Once standardisation is in place, I am told
that Bureau of Indian Standards has already
released standard specification for LEDs
both for safety and performance. This
is the first step; now we have to ensure
manufacturer/importer follow the set norms.
The Department of Electronics and
Information Technology (DEIT) has
also issued guidelines for registration of
manufacturing in India and abroad as
mandatory requirement. I feel that this is again
a step in right direction to ensure quality.
The need of the hour is to make these
standards for the country mandatory so that
only quality products find their way to market.
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency
(BEE) is planning for star
labelling for LED lights.
However, it is yet to be decided
whether the programme would

be on a comparative level or
endorsement level. What is the
industry’s preference?
To my mind, there are two ways to go about
it, if BEE can find a significant differentiating
factor, which is measurable without any dispute
then we should go in for comparative labelling
programme. If the difference is minute, then
we should opt for endorsement labelling. Just
for instance, if there is a LED Lamp which
gives light output of eighty lumen per watt and
there is another lamp which gives hundred
lumen per watt, while there is third lamp
which is giving one hundred ten lumen per
watt, we should go in for comparative labelling.
However, if all the lamps are between ninety
to hundred lumen per watt, endorsement
labelling makes better sense.
The Indian Lighting Industry
plans to bring down energy
consumption from the current
18 percent of total consumption
to 13 percent by 2020. How
optimistic are you about this
target?
I am quite optimistic about it provided as an
industry we are able to stop manufacturing
energy inefficient products in a phased
manner. The white paper has already been
prepared by ELCOMA under vision 2020.
There has been lots of brain storming
amongst different stakeholders before
releasing this document.
Havells India has forayed into
solar product manufacturing by
acquiring stake in LED and solar
product manufacturer Promptec
Renewable Energy Solutions.
What are company’s future plan
in RE Sector?
In terms of manufacturing capabilities, solar
is something which is new to us. Promptec
is a company which is into solar lighting
and they have been supplying equipment to
companies like, TATA BP Solar. They have
also undertaken projects in street lighting on
a large scale in state of Gujarat, Maharashtra
and Kerala.
They have adequate competency in
making LED fixtures and solar modules.
Hence, investment in Promptec has strategic
intent to get access to right technology and
experience to be leveraged through large
distribution channel of Havells.
Do you think there is enough
awareness about LED lighting in
India? What is ELCOMA doing to
increase knowledge and usage
of LED lights?
With the help of members, we are
organising symposiums/talks/exhibitions in
Sunil Sikka
all metropolitan towns for decision makers
- Architects, Consultants and Builders, as
well as spreading awareness about LED
products and advantages over conventional
light sources. Most of our members are
advertising through media accelerating pace
of change, user experience and penetration
gradually would spread awareness further.
What role do you foresee for
your company in the India LED
Industry by 2020?
Havells is essentially a manufacturing
company in Low Voltage Electricals and
Lighting. We have eleven plants in India
besides five plants in Europe and Latin
America. More than ninety five per cent
products sold by us internationally are
manufactured in these plants. We have
set up two green field facilities in the
space of LEDs. One at Neemrana for
manufacturing LED lighting fixtures and
another in Noida for making drivers and
LED lamps. Besides this, we have bought
majority stake in a manufacturing company
in Bangalore which is into manufacturing
of LED’s and solar lighting. We are going
to use these manufacturing facilities for
domestic consumption as well as exports.
Philosophically, we want to use India
manufacturing for efficient lighting solutions
internationally.
May 2015 | Energy Next | 47
 SUCCESS STORY

Photo: Germi

State pioneers in solar

India, owing to its sporadic success before 2009, would have never imagined
‘Solar energy’ to be as its mainstream as in the present time. Hence, the
Government of Gujarat launched the “Gujarat Solar Power Policy-2009” in
January 2009. D Jagatheesa Pandian and Dr Omkar Jani talk about the
various initiatives that have been taken for the growth of solar energy

T
he Centre and many state
governments were exploring how
to scale up the green technology to
meet their objectives. The drivers
were many (i) developing a new and potentially
vast technology for energy generation to
reduce the country’s energy deficit, (ii) striving
towards energy security for the country, and
in the process, (iii) reducing greenhouse gas
emissions for a cleaner environment.
In early 2008, Gujarat too had identified
solar energy as a major thrust area to tap its
abundant solar resource and introduce its
marketability. Hence, the Government of
Gujarat launched the “Gujarat Solar Power

48 | Energy Next | MAY 2015


Policy-2009” in January 2009. This policy not
only targeted a solar installation capacity of 500
MW by the year 2014, but also had many well-
designed investor-friendly provisions.
For instance, Gujarat Energy Transmission
Corporation Limited (GETCO) bagged the
complete responsibility of laying including
cost of power evacuation infrastructure
(i.e. Transmission lines) from the solar
developers due to their better preparedness
to execute the project.
Above all, the tariff of Rs 15 per unit for
the first 12 years and Rs 5 per unit for the next
13 years (amounting to a levelized tariff of Rs
12.54 per unit for 25 years) was aptly designed
by front-loading it, to propagate project
developers to pay off their loans. Under the
policy, power utilities of Gujarat signed power
purchase agreement (PPA) with 84 project
developers in May and November 2010 to a
total capacity of 968.5 MW.
However, above all it was the facilitation of
the policy and the realisation that the devil lies
in the details that was going to be the key to
successful implementation. Many stakeholder
consultation meetings between project
developers were held, headed by the Energy
and Petrochemicals Department of Gujarat,
where the status of the projects were regularly
reviewed one-on-one including the challenges
coming their way.
A proactive effort was made by the state
government to bring all administrative
stakeholders representing the state utilities,
revenue department, and infrastructure board
and so on to resolve the issues. The state
government also realised through the project
developers that substantial confidence needed
to be instilled among the Indian bankers. The
bankers viewed solar technology with a sense
of skepticism, contemplating on how a plant
without any moving parts and no apparent
fuel could keep generating power consistently
for 25 years! It was through numerous
meetings, knowledge dissemination and
assurances to the bankers that they opened
doors to financing the projects.
Similarly, through such stakeholder
consultations, the Energy and Petrochemicals
Department also realised early on that the
subject of ‘land’ was going to create issues
if not tackled proactively. A typical solar
plant of 5 MW would require about 25-35
acres, which translated into large numbers
of farmland to be acquired from multiple
farmers. As not all the project developers
were large corporate houses with infinite local
reach, and the process of land acquisition
being very local in nature starting from
negotiating with the farmers, this bridge had
to be gapped immediately.
One unyielding farmer with a miniscule
parcel of land in the middle of a prospective
project site meant either an infinite delay or
relocation of the entire project. Further, as one
would want solar projects to be on cheaper
land without much agricultural prospects, it is
likely that such land would be found in remote
locations with limited infrastructural support.
Hence, without a blink the Government of
Gujarat resolved to establish a ‘Solar Park,’ a
unique concept where it would establish and
provide developers with the required amount
of land including basic infrastructure such as
road connectivity, electrical evacuation facility,
water, drainage and various other services.
Also, this was advantageous to the state as it
would use unproductive wastelands as well
as optimally use resources by establishing a
common infrastructure for multiple projects.
Gujarat Power Corporation Limited,
a state government undertaking, was
selected as the implementing agency for the
‘Solar Park’. Most of the land for this park
identified in the outskirts of Patan district
near a remote village called Charanka,
around 50 kilometers from the Indo-Pak
border, was government wasteland; while the
private farmlands purchased there were also
barren and couldn’t be used for agriculture.
The area earmarked for the park was about
GUJARAT
2,500 acres with an infrastructure to host
multiple solar power plants aggregating to a
capacity of 500 MW.
Not only was the concept of the ‘Solar Park’
idealistic but also breathtaking since within
a short time span of 13 months , emerged an
entire infrastructure guided by government
agencies in parallel with 21 individual solar
projects totaling to 214 MW resulting into
‘Asia’s largest Solar Park’.
Solar policies are incomplete without an
emphasis on development of human resource
and fostering employment generation. Gujarat’s
policy had it too. Not initiating any activity
towards achieving such an objective remains
an option since someone at some level will
be employed locally and the objective would
be fulfilled. However, the perspective was
different. This first set of projects coming
through this policy was only a beginning, and
the intention was to learn rather than achieving
a target. Hence, human resource development
and technology adaptation were treated as the
foremost objectives in Gujarat’s case.
Governments are not experts in technologies.
On the other hand, technology providers and
consultants are always received with a pinch
of salt by the governments. Hence, again, an
appropriate bridge was required between the
state government and technology providers to
advise the government and suggest terms that
would encompass the overall objectives so much
so that to include sharing of risk.
Gujarat Energy Research and Management
Institute (GERMI), which was created through
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit of 2003
Photo: Germi
May 2015 | Energy Next | 49
 SUCCESS STORY | GUJARAT
Charanka solar park at Patan
along with Pandit Deendayal Petroleum
University (PDPU) took charge of the technical
backstopping. A dedicated School of Solar
Energy was established at PDPU to develop a
cadre of professionals towards understanding
the technology through fundamental research
and its associated master’s and doctoral
programmes. One of the first milestones
GERMI-PDPU achieved was to establish
a multi-technology 1 MW photovoltaic
power plant for themselves to gain first-hand
knowledge on the nitty-gritties of setting up
such a solar power project. This project was
established in the record time of 105 days and
served as a tremendous confidence-booster for
all solar project developers.
Today, the research at GERMI and PDPU
is cutting-edge and in a short time they
are already gaining global recognition.
GERMI provided the hands-on support
ranging from conceptualising projects
to comprehensive project management
to training of professionals both in the
government and the private sector. GERMI
also provides policy and regulatory
support to Gujarat, and is now starting to
extend its support to other states as well.
Such an arrangement of readily available
and dedicated knowledge pools meet
the government’s requirements in record
turnaround times; in many cases, much
less than the time a typical government
organisation would take to even select a
consultant to start the work.
One such example of quick turnaround is
the response to the request of the Directorate
of Employment and Training of the state
government to establish its first Industrial
Training Institute (ITI) at Patan to develop
skilled workforce for constructing photovoltaic
power plants in that area. This task was given to
50 | Energy Next | MAY 2015
Photo: Germi
GERMI, which developed the curriculum for
the study, got the curriculum approved by the
approving council, trained 18 ITI teachers, and
set up the ITI laboratory; all this in 1 month,
and that too during the month of Diwali! This
curriculum is taught in 6 ITIs of Gujarat, which
are continually generating skilled manpower,
who are also exported to other states.
The criticality of land availability and its
associated bottlenecks are well understood.
Hence, since day one, the state government had
been exploring ways to utilise the already-
available area on rooftops to harness solar
energy. Another advantage of generating
electricity on rooftops is that the generated
energy can be consumed directly at or around
the place of generation, thus avoiding the
associated transmission and distribution
losses accrued over long distances as in the
conventional case. For the rooftop solar
programme, a fundamental approach was
taken where it was decided to invite private
investments rather than utilising government
funds. Hence, GERMI designed a public
private partnership (PPP) model where the
Project Developer would own multiple rooftop
solar plants on government and commercial
buildings as well as private homes; pay a
rent to the building or home owner; and
recover its investments by directly selling the
solar-generated electricity to the distribution
company at a competitively-determined feed-
in tariff. An innovative mechanism to ensure
the building or home owner’s commitment was
to offer them a generation-based rent rather
than a fixed rent.
This model, which started out as an
experiment, turned out to be extremely
successful, was recognised among the
top ten PPP models of Asia Pacific by the
Infrastructure Journal of the World Bank. Not
only did this model ensure sustainability of the
solar systems, but a whole new level of techno-
commercial sophistication was witnessed
due to the large volume stake of the Project
Developers. This model is currently being
replicated in other cities of Gujarat as well as
other states.
Another experimental idea of the then Chief
Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, to tackle
two challenges, land and water, prompted the
state to engineer a demonstration solar plant
on one of the branches of Narmada Canal
through its power generation company –
Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited
(GSECL). This plant utilises the area on top
of the canal, thus saving land. Additionally,
it would also drastically reduce evaporation
of water due to the shade created by the solar
modules on top. A typical 1 MW solar plant on
a canal, which would span a length of around
1 kilometer, would avoid evaporation of about
90 lakh liters of water per year. Gujarat itself
has a canal network of 19,000 kilometers and
growing, while the aggregate number in India
is enormous. This plant is visited by experts
from not only the country but from all over the
world, and is also in the process of replication
at other places all over the country.
At the end of the exercise, Gujarat clocked
an aggregate of 605 megawatts of solar
installations by its first tariff deadline of 28
January 2012. To summarise, a 5-year target
was achieved in 3 years! This was three times
of the total installed capacity of the rest of the
country at that time.
Today Gujarat still leads the tally at
around 890 megawatts (compare this to
the total capacity of approximately 2,200
megawatts installed in India), the lead
which is mainly attributed to the initial
boost, enthusiasm and approach taken by
all stakeholders of the state at that time. The
learning from Gujarat’s initiative has played
a vital part in the cost reduction of solar
projects in India, which stands at around
`6-7 crore per MW today. Above all a strong
foundation was established, the benefits of
which will be reaped by the entire country
for a much longer time to come.
D Jagatheesa Pandian is Chief Secretary,
Govt of Gujarat
Dr Omkar Jani is Principal Research Scientist
at GERMI
(Views expressed by the authors are personal)
 Bilateral Cooperation-Renewable Energy

RE-Newed vigour
The recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France, Germany
and Canada saw the signing of a series of memorandum of understandings and
other agreements, giving boost to the renewable energy and energy efficiency
sectors in India. Energy Next reports

P
rime Minister Modi is striving
hard to make India the leader in
the field of renewable energy as
well as provide 24x7 power to all
households.
Renewable Energy will play a pertinent
role in addressing the energy security issues
of the country without adversely affecting
the climate. Presently, India ranks fifth in the
world in the overall renewable energy capacity
installations with 32,425 MW installed.
However, the government of India has
set an ambitious target of achieving 175
GW of renewable energy by 2022, thereby
requiring a minimum investment of USD
20 billion every year.
Germany, France and Canada are
looking at India as a promising market
for renewable energy development and an
answer to energy security issues.
ll Germany
India, a partner country at the fair, organised
a renewable energy event on “Market
Potentials and Business Applications for
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
in India” at Hannover. During the event,
which was organised by Federation of
Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FICCI), Ministry of New
and Renewable Energy, Government
of India and the Indo German Energy
Forum, the German Federal Ministry
of Energy (BMWi) and the German
Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), four
memorandum of understandings were signed.
Addressing the gathering, Upendra
Tripathy, Secretary, Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy, Government of India
said “we can learn a lot from Germany.
The challenge in India is the question
of who will buy the power. We need to
bring down the cost of power, the cost of
input, cost of finance, cost of evacuation
and transaction. RE-Invest 2015 was an
eye opener as it generated 273 GW of
commitments in renewable energy, and a
huge interest from the private sector.”
Thorsten Herdan from the German
Federal Ministry of Energy, while
speaking at the event, said, “We see a new
wave of change in India. RE-Invest 2015
demonstrated industry’s commitment to
the Prime Minister’s goal of 24x7 energy.
We need to reshape the IGEF to meet
the needs of the new renewable energy
targets. Learning from each other’s
experiences will help in delivering the
solutions to meet the targets set.”
During the two industry panel discussions
– one on ‘Make in India’ for renewable

May 2015 | Energy Next | 51

 Bilateral Cooperation-Renewable Energy

(i)Extension of credit facility by Agence

Française de Développement for India’s
Energy Efficiency Services Limited
(EESL) promoting use of LED lighting in
select Indian municipalities;

(ii)Arrangement on renewable energy

cooperation between the Indian Ministry
of New and Renewable Energy and the
French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable
Development and Energy.

energy and the second on Investment
Opportunities in Renewable Energy, stress
was laid on bringing the small and medium
enterprises from Germany to India with an
aim to give boost to the supply chain for
the wind industry in India. Manufacturing
turbines and balance of systems is a big
opportunity for collaboration in the wind
energy in India. Suggestions were made with
regard to extending the potential of Indian
renewable energy sector to technology
development as well as training of manpower
for renewable energy sector in India.
The German speakers accepted the fact that
India is one of the most attractive markets for
German companies and called for measures
to overcome regulatory and policy hurdles
that are posed by the state governments.
Sustainable Development and Energy.
France is looking forward to cooperating
with India in a big way in the field of solar
energy. Presently, the French firms are
engaged in the production of 10 per cent
of the solar electricity output in India.
French President Hollande confirmed the
target of AFD credit line of 1 billion euros
over the next three years for sustainable
infrastructure and urban development
in India and conveyed the commitment
of France to partner with India in
implementation of the following projects
launched by India for development of
renewable sources of energy:
ll Canada
During his historic visit to Canada,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met
his Canadian counterpart, Stephen
Harper. Both the leaders discussed the
need to increase bilateral trade and
investment in the field of renewable
energy. The two leaders appreciated the
steps that are being taken to strengthen
cooperation in the field of energy through
the Canada-India Ministerial Energy
Dialogue as well as other mechanisms.
The prime ministers of both nations
agreed to further collaborate in areas
such as energy efficiency and innovation,
exchange of regulatory best practices and
renewable energy,
The Prime Ministers welcomed the
convening of the next Ministerial meeting
of the India-Canada Energy Dialogue by
the end of 2015.

ll France
Prior to his visit to Germany, PM
Narendra Modi visited France, where the
leaders of the two countries discussed
steps to increase cooperation in the
sphere of renewable energy.
France lauded the ambitious target set by
the Indian government in terms of energy
access to all and the growth of renewable
energy. France is extending support to
India in harnessing solar energy. New Delhi
hailed the target set by French companies
aimed at developing 8 to 10 GW of solar
energy in India by 2020-2022.
The memorandum was signed between
the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy and France’s Ministry of Ecology,

52 | Energy Next | MAY 2015

 Perspective | REC

Electricity Amendment
Bill to boost REC market
Due to the lack of enforcement of renewable purchase obligation (RPO) and
reluctance of the obligating entities to purchase it, the Renewable Energy
Certificate (REC) market, particularly the non-solar one, has not had much
respite. KR Nair takes a look at the steps that have been initiated to ensure
compliance of the RPO
any year, the Commission may direct the
obligated entity to deposit into a separate fund
such amount as the SERC may determine
on the basis of shortfall in the RPO at the
forbearance price determined by the CERC.
As notified by the SERCs, these regulations
were already in place, but the reluctance of
the SERCs to strictly enforce it led to the
directions being given by the APTEL under
Section 121 of the Electricity Act, 2003, which
is binding on all the SERCs.
In the Electricity Act Amendment Bill,
2014, the “obligated entities” has been
clearly defined as distribution licensee or
the consumer owning captive power plant
(CPP) or the open access (OA) consumer,
forums that under the Electricity Act, 2003,
the SERC had no authority to issue directions
to non-licensees like CPP and OA to purchase
energy from renewable sources, and that only
distribution licensee is obliged for RPO.
There are cases pending before some High
Courts and the Supreme Court, filed by the
CPP and OA consumers in this regard, as well
as the amendment to the effect that “procure
electricity from any market instrument
representing renewable energy”, which
covers REC also in the Act. A higher penalty
for non-compliance of RPO has also been
provided in the amendment to the Act under
Section 142, as per which, for non-compliance
of RPO the generating company or licensee

T
which are mandated to “procure electricity may be penalised an amount not exceeding `1
he recent order of the Appellate from any market instrument representing the crore for each contravention and `1 lakh per
Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL), renewable energy sources”. This amendment day for each day the failure continues after the
directing all the State Electricity will overcome the arguments before certain contravention of the first direction. As against
Regulatory Commissions
(SERC) to fix the Renewable Purchase
Obligation (RPO) targets of distribution
licensees and comply with it, may give a
fillip to the REC market. As per the order,
the SERCs shall decide the RPO targets
before the commencement of the multi-year
tariff period, giving adequate time to the
distribution licensees to plan and arrange
procurement of renewable energy (RE) and
enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)
with RE project developers.
If the distribution licensee is not able to
tie up procurement of RE to meet the RPO
target, it may plan to purchase an REC to
meet its RPO target as per the provisions of
the Regulations. The order also says that if the
obligated entity does not fulfil the RPO during

May 2015 | Energy Next | 53

 Perspective | REC

this, the present penalty on obligated entity is

limited to the amount of forbearance price of
REC for non-compliance of RPO.
The Bill for amendment to Electricity
Act was introduced in the Lok Sabha on
December 19, 2014, but was referred to the
Parliament Standing Committee on Energy
headed by Kirit Somaiya. The Standing
Committee sought comments from public
and the stakeholders. After getting the report
of the Standing Committee, the Amendment
Bill 2014 to the Electricity Act, 2003 would be
re-introduced and passed by the Parliament.

ll Renewable Generation
Obligation (RGO):
In the proposed Amendment to the Electricity
Act, it is provided that any new generating
company establishing coal and lignite based
thermal generating stations is also required
to establish RE generation capacity of not
less than 10 per cent of the thermal power
installed capacity. This will be effective from
the date notified, after the amendment in the
Act. It also provides that any existing coal and
lignite based thermal generating station, with
concurrence of the power procurers under the
existing PPA, chooses for setting up additional
RE capacity, which can be bundled, and the
obligating entity which buys that power shall
be accounted towards their RPO. Though
for new thermal units, the setting up of
Renewable Generation Capacity is obligatory,
for the existing thermal units, it is optional.
The RGO and the resultant generation
of RE by thermal units, when purchased by
the Distribution companies will be counted
towards the RPO. There has been reluctance
on the part of discoms in the non RE states
to buy REC and they have maintained that
they will buy only renewable energy when
it is made available in the state towards the
RPO. This will be a boon to such loss making
Discoms, in the non RE states, which are
otherwise required to buy REC towards the
compliance of RPO.
The strict enforcement of the RPO as well
as RGO, with higher penalties for non-
compliance by the obligatory entities, as
provided in the amendment to the Electricity
Act, 2003, will certainly boost the REC market
and develop more RE installations in India.
However, for achieving the ambitious RE
targets set by the government, the presence
The strict enforcement of the RPO as
well as RGO, with higher penalties for
non-compliance by the obligatory
entities, as provided in the amendment
to the Electricity Act, 2003, will
certainly boost the REC market and
develop more RE installations in India
of a motivated and vibrant industry, along
with incentives and enabling infrastructure is
required. There are also grid issues that result
in backing down of wind energy, particularly
in windy season. In Tamil Nadu, not much
investment in wind projects has taken place in
the last 2-3 years due to this backing down of
wind energy for reasons of grid safety.
This year, steps are being taken with the
help of the MNRE, National Institute of Wind
Energy (NIWE) and Tamil Nadu Government
to ensure forecasting and scheduling as an
industry sponsored project, initiated by the
Indian Wind Power Association. ABT meters
are being installed in all wind pooling sub-
stations (around 136) along with modems
with a central server at Chennai, enabling
monitoring by a computer server located at
Tamil Nadu SLDC. This can procure first
hand real-time wind generation data and
get the wind power forecasting to make
effective scheduling and grid management
during the windy season from June, 2015,
for the entire Tamil Nadu Region. Once this
model of forecasting is successful, it can be
extended to other states, so that the backing
down of wind energy does not take place
due to grid safety. However, a recent study
presented by the Power System Operation
Corporation (POSOCO) had shown that RE
generation has not affected the transmission
system as much as the variation in load and
tripping of generation has disturbed the
grid stability. Hence, though wind energy
is infirm in nature, with proper forecasting
and scheduling, and with setting up of the
Renewable Energy Management Centres,
the entire wind energy generated can be
integrated into the grid system.
Earlier, many state discoms had argued that
they would purchase renewable energy only
when it is made available in the state and not
RECs. The amendment proposed will take
care of the RPO and REC in the Act.
The author is VP, Indian Wind Power Association
(Views expressed by the author are personal)

54 | Energy Next | MAY 2015

 Sectoral Watch | Solar

Grid-interactive solar
rooftop: A viable option
India has 124 GW of solar photovoltaic rooftop potential, and it would be key
to meet the government’s target of 100 GW solar capacity by 2022. However, the
potential can be harnessed only with the help of state governments who are coming
forward for the cause. Dr Arun Kumar Tripathi, talks about various aspects of the
solar rooftop system and its growing importance in the coming days
complex and the regulatory framework specified
for respective States. These systems generate
power during the day time which is utilized
fully by powering captive loads and feed excess
power to the grid as long as grid is available. In
case, where solar power is not sufficient due to
cloud cover etc., the captive loads are served by
drawing power from the grid.
ll Capacity, roof area
required and cost
The rooftop solar systems from 1 kWp upto
500 kWp or in combination can be set up
distribution losses
· Low gestation time
· No requirement of additional land
· Improvement of tail-end grid voltages and
reduction in system congestion with higher
· Self-consumption of solar electricity
· Local employment generation
ll Grid connected Rooftop
systems-Worldwide
Germany, USA and Japan are pioneers
in adopting grid-connected SPV rooftop
systems. Germany has highest PV installed

G
on the roofs. About 10-12 sq.m roof area capacity of about 38.0 GW of which 71
enerating power in your own is required to set up 1 kWp grid connected per cent is in rooftop segment. Italy has
house was a wishful thinking rooftop solar system. The average cost of grid 13.0 GW PV installations with over 60
till a few days ago. However, connected rooftop solar systems is about Rs 75 per cent rooftop systems. In Europe of the
with the advent of solar rooftop per watt or Rs 7.50 crore per MWp capacity. total 51.0 GW PV installations, over 50 per
in India and with the government giving a cent is in rooftop segment. Feed in Tariff
lot of thrust to it, in the near future we can ll Advantages of Grid- is common norm in Europe while net-
hope that a system will be in place when Connected Rooftop Solar metering is popular in USA. In USA net
households would be able to produce power System metering is popular in 43 States but specific
from their respective houses. · Electricity generation at the consumption rules defer from state to state . Energy
Solar rooftop systems can be of two types center and hence savings in transmission and Policy Act 2005 of USA mandates all public
(i) solar rooftop system with storage facility
using battery, and (ii) grid connected solar
rooftop system.
In a solar rooftop system with storage facility,
solar electricity is stored in the battery and can
be utilized during night also when the sun is not
available. In grid connected rooftop or small
SPV system, the DC power generated from SPV
panel is converted to AC power using power
conditioning unit and is fed to the grid either
of 33 kV/11 kV three phase lines or of 440/220
Volt three/single phase line depending on the
capacity of the system installed at institution/
commercial establishment or residential

May 2015 | Energy Next | 55

 Sectoral Watch
Under Grid Connected Rooftop and
Small Solar Power Plants Programme
against the total sanction of 356 MWp
capacity, so far 45.0 MWp capacity has
been commissioned.
electricity utilities to make net metering
options available to all customers. California
has maximum installed onsite customer
generated solar capacity of about 1000 MWp
with 1over 1.0 lakh net metering consumers
from 115000 sites.
ll Potential in India
According to a study conducted by TERI, a
potential of 124 GWp SPV Rooftop plants
has been estimated in the country. This can
be achieved through active supports from
the States.
ll Requirements to set up
the system
To set up grid-connected rooftop solar systems:
(i) The shadow-free rooftop should be
available
(ii) The State should have conducive solar
policy to allow the grid connectivity.
(iii) State Electricity Regulatory Commission
has notified regulations for appropriate tariff,
net-metering/feed-in tariff and the grid
56 | Energy Next | MAY 2015
connectivity
(iv)Concerned Electricity Distribution
Company (DISCOM) agrees to allow
grid connectivity, replace meter with
bi-directional meter and purchase the
electricity on feed-in-tariff or through net
metering arrangement.
ll Grid connectivity levels
for rooftop systems
The Projects fall within two broad categories
(i) the projects connected to HT voltage at
distribution network (i.e. below 33 kV) (ii) the
projects connected to LT voltage i.e. 400/415/440
volts (3-phase) as the case may be or 230 volts
(1-phase). Accordingly, the projects may be
under the following two categories.
Category 1: Projects connected at HT level
(below33kV)
The Projects with proposed installed
capacity of minimum 50 kW and upto 500
kW and connected at below 33kV shall fall
within this category. The projects will have
to follow appropriate technical connectivity
standards in this regard.
Category 2: Projects connected at LT level
(400 Volts-3 phase or 230 Volts-1 phase)
The Projects with proposed installed capacity
of less than100kW and connected of the grid at
LT level (400/ 415/ 440 volts for 3-phase or 230V
for1-phase) shall fall within this category.
ll Protection, if grid fails
In case the grid fails, the solar power has
to be fully utilized or stopped immediately
feeding to the grid so as to safe-guard any
grid person/technician from getting shock
(electrocuted) while working on the grid for
maintenance etc. This feature is termed as
‘Islanding Protection’.
ll Current status in India
Regulations
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA)
has notified the (i)“Technical Standards for
Connectivity of the Distributed Generation
Resources-CEA Regulations 2013” which
permits the grid connectivity of SPR rooftops
and small solar plants with the grid and (ii)
Central Electricity Authority (Installation
and Operation of Meters) Amendment
Regulations, 2014 for standards and
specification of meters.
Twenty State/UT Regulators from Andhra
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat,
Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh,
 Solar

Uttarakhand and West Bengal, Andaman &

Nicobar, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli,
Department of Financial services has
Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep, Pondicherry
and Goa have so far issued these regulations
instructed to all Public Sector Banks
for net-metering/gross metering. to encourage home loan/ home
ll Inatallations
improvement loan seekers to install
Under Grid Connected Rooftop and Small
Solar Power Plants Programme against the
rooftop solar PV plants and include
total sanction of 356 MWp capacity, so far cost of system in their home loan
45.0 MWp capacity has been commissioned.
proposals
Incentives home loan proposals. So far, nine PSBs will be Rs 10 lakh per borrower. Rooftop
• MNRE is providing subsidy upto 15 per namely Bank of India, Syndicate Bank, also qualifies for such loans.
cent for selected categories of States and State Bank of India, Dena Bank , Central
consumers. Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, ll Executing Agencies
• Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh Allahabad Bank, Indian Bank and Indian The programme is being implemented
have announced additional subsidy to Overseas Bank have given instructions to through multiple agencies for rapid
the individual beneficiaries. Haryana has extend loan for Grid Interactive Rooftop up-scaling in an inclusive mode.
made it compulsory to install 5 per cent of Solar PV Plants as home loan/ home These agencies are: (i) State Nodal
the connected load with Grid Connected improvement loan. Agencies(SNAs) (ii) Solar Energy
Rooftop Systems. Reserve bank of India has issued a Corporation of India (SECI) (iii) Channel
• Provision of concessional import duty/ notification(RBI/2014-15/573 FIDD. Partners including Renewable Energy
excise duty exemption for setting up of CO.Plan.BC.54/04.09.01/2014-15 April Service Providing Companies (RESCOs),
rooftop solar power plants. 23, 2015) which places Renewable Energy System Integrators, Manufactures of any
• Provision of accelerated depreciation and tax under Priority Sector lending Category. It component of the Solar Plants, Project
holiday for setting up of roof solar power plants. mentions about Bank loans up to a limit of developers, Vendors/ suppliers of solar
Rs.15 crore to borrowers for purposes like equipment, Reputed and relevant NGOs
ll Low cost Loans solar based power generators, biomass based etc. The Financial Institutions like
Department of Financial services has power generators, wind mills, micro-hydel National Housing Banks, Public Sector
instructed to all Public Sector Banks to plants and for nonconventional energy Banks Banks, Indian Renewable Energy
encourage home loan/ home improvement based public utilities viz. street lighting Development Agency (IREDA) etc. are
loan seekers to install rooftop solar PV systems, and remote village electrification. also coming forward in this sector.
plants and include cost of system in their For individual households, the loan limit The State Renewable Energy
Development Agencies, PSUs, autonomous
Chandigarh joins club of clean energy bodies, educational institutions, renewable
energy service companies, system
Aggregate capacity of 5.28 MWp Grid connected SPV Rooftop projects
have been commissioned on over 75 Govt Buildings including colleges, integrators, NHB, IREDA, SECI, etc. are
hospitals, schools, cycle stand, government offices etc. in Chandigarh. implementing grid-interactive rooftop
This has put Chandigarh on 3rd position overall in entire country among all solar systems on the country.
States & UTs in Rooftop Solar Plant installations. The entire 14 buildings
of Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh have been solarised with Grid ll Future Plans
Connected Rooftop system. Government of India has proposed a target
Today, Chandigarh has joined the club of clean electricity producer in for 40 GW grid-connected solar rooftop
the country and is generating about 6.5 million units of Solar electricity installations in the country by 2022.
annually. All these plants are under net metering mechanism, so that, solar
energy generated is first used in the local building and excess, if any is sent
ll Conclusion
to grid. To ensure proper functioning, all projects have provisions for 10
Days are not far when every house will
year’s operation & maintenance support .
Chandigarh plans to add 5 MW aggregate capacity rooftop solar projects become a powerhouse, each commercial
in 2015-16. Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission for Goa & UT has entity will say a good-bye to the Diesel
notified a new Solar Tariff & Net metering Regulation 2015 wherein solar Generation set and every building will have
Tariff has been kept @ `8.52 per unit (kWhr). It is a very attractive tariff and the rooftop installations on its roof.
shall definitely motivate Private residents to go for solar rooftop plants.
The author is Director, MNRE
(Views expressed by the author are personal)

May 2015 | Energy Next | 57

 MNRE NEWS
Piyush Goyal bats for strong grid
P iyush Goyal, Minister for Power, Coal and
New & Renewable Energy, while attending
the inauguration of Gridtech 2015, stated the
need for India to set the transmission, sub-
transmission and the distribution system in
place in wake of proposed increase in power
generation capacity in the country.
The 5th edition of the international
exhibition and conference on new
technologies in transmission, distribution,
smart grid and communications was
organised in New Delhi by the Power Grid
Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL)
The minister said that after seeing the
capabilities of young entrepreneurs in the
No progress without green
initiatives, says minister
P rime Minister Narendra Modi has
made it clear that there cannot be
any development by compromising the
environment. Keeping with this idea,
the government, is accordingly giving
a lot of emphasis to renewable energy
generation.
Speaking at the conclusion of
the two-day Conference of Power,
Renewable Energy and Mines in
Guwahati, Piyush Goyal, Minister for
Power, Coal and New & Renewable
Energy, said that government is
promoting the generation of clean and
environment friendly RE energy.
The minister also stated that the
government’s mission is to provide
58 | Energy Next | May 2015
country, he has become more confident that
India will be able to achieve the target of 24x7
power to all household by 2019. With respect
to grid infrastructure, Goyal said that he was
optimistic that India would never again face
the problem that occurred in August 2012.
Goyal informed the audience that the
government is expecting an investment of `3
lakh crore in the power sector over the next
four years. In an endeavour to provide power to
all households, the minister stressed that they
would ensure setting up of grid as well as micro
grids in every nook and corner of the country.
He stressed the government’s commitment of
increasing renewable energy generation in the
country’s total energy mix.
The minister commended domestic and
international manufacturers and suppliers for
coming out with latest products and innovative
technology. He specially acknowledged
the efforts of young entrepreneurs towards
achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
dream of providing 24x7 power to all
households by 2019.
RN Nayak, CMD at PGCIL, endorsed
the government’s ambitious plan and stated
that it would require deployment of latest
technologies in the field of transmission,
distribution, intelligent devices, information
and communication technology.
24x7 affordable and high quality power
to every household and sector, and make
India diesel gen-set free by 2019. He said
that the government has scaled up its
renewable energy target, with increased
emphasis on solar energy. The target is
to install 100 GW of solar power capacity
by 2022.
The conference was organised to
discuss major areas of concerns with
respect to policy in the states. Apart from
the minister, Upendra Tripathy, Secretary,
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
also attended the conference and
discussed various issues pertaining to
aggressive deployment of renewable
energy in states.
RE & EE to
attain energy
security
D uring a recent visit to Indian
School of Business (ISB), Mohali,
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Power,
Coal and New & Renewable Energy said
that in India today, around 280 million
people are devoid of basic electricity
connections. The government’s dream of
providing 24x7 electricity to all by 2019
will help in addressing that issue.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony
of ISB, the minister said that the problem
is not related to the ability of generating
power. The real problem, he added, is
the non-availability of fuel, coal and gas.
This situation gets further complicated
when the power generated fails to be
transmitted throughout the country.
The minister reiterated that the
government is not merely coining
slogan about 24x7 power to all by 2019,
but is also taking concrete steps towards
realising that dream. He said that
renewable energy will play a great role
in country’s energy security, and that
he is looking forward to new financing
models that may lead to decrease in
cost of renewable power. He hoped that
India will become one of the world’s
largest producers of renewable power,
and innovative financing models will
have to play a key role towards achieving
that dream.
Stressing the need for adopting
energy efficiency measures, Goyal said
that his ministry is focusing on energy
efficiency in a big way to bring down
AT&C losses, which are as high as 25
per cent.

Huge opportunity for grid-connected solar rooftop
A t a conference in New Delhi, Tarun
Kapoor, Joint Secretary, Ministry of
New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said
that grid-connected rooftop solar power is
the most important single sector in India’s
renewable energy plans, and also presents a
big opportunity for all businesses.
The one-day conference was held
to deliberate upon the challenges and
strategies for the successful implementation
of the MNRE scheme for grid-connected
rooftop solar power in India. The event
was jointly organised by the MNRE and
The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI).
Indian government has an ambitious
target of installing 40 GW of solar rooftop
capacity by 2022.
In the keynote address, Kapoor
Solar parks to expedite
capacity addition
P iyush Goyal, Minister for Power,
Coal and New & Renewable Energy,
while answering to a question in Lok
Sabh, said that the scheme for developing
solar parks will help in expediting
installation of grid-connected solar
power projects on a large scale.
The minister informed the
parliamentarians that the government
has launched the scheme for
development of 25 solar parks in
various part of the country over the
next five to seven years. The solar
parks will have suitable developed
land with all clearances, transmission
system, water access, road connectivity,
communication network, etc.
encouraged start-up businesses to come
forward and invest in the sector. He
informed the audience that 20 state
Goyal stated that it would be the
responsibility of state governments to
make land available for setting up solar
parks. He added that the respective state
governments will identify the land for
the solar parks unless the implementing
agencies have their own land.
Under this scheme, the Ministry of New
and Renewable Energy will provide Central
Financial Assistance (CFA) of `25 lakh
per solar park for preparation of detailed
project report, for conducting surveys, etc.
Besides this, CFA of up to `20 lakh per MW
or 30 per cent of the project cost, including
grid-connectivity cost, whichever is lower,
will also be provided on achieving the
milestones.
MNRE NEWS
regulators have issued connections and 17
states have issued policies with respect to
grid-connected solar rooftop installations.
Kapoor also added that the MNRE will
continue to work on options that will help
consumers get cheap loans for setting up
solar rooftop units.
Experts said that it would be interesting
to see how India becomes a global leader
in this sector without impacting climate
change. Mohua Mukherjee, Senior Energy
Specialist at World Bank, said that they
were interested in developing various
business models in India. Talking about
World Bank’s partnership with MNRE,
she said that the aim is to catalyse private
funding through partnership with
commercial banks.
India to chair
IRENA Council
meet in Abu
Dhabi
I
ndia will chair the ninth meeting
of the International Renewable
Energy Agency (IRENA) Council
scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi
in June. India has been nominated to
chair the meet on June 10-11, 2015.
India is one of the founding
members of IRENA, which was
founded in 2009 and is an inter-
governmental organisation with an
objective to promote adoption and
expansion of renewable energy in the
member countries.
The IRENA Council is the main
governing body of the agency
responsible for implementing various
decisions of the IRENA Assembly
that provides policy guidance.
Accountable to the Assembly, the
Council is composed of 21 members
who are elected on a rotating basis
with the view of ensuring the effective
participation of both developing and
developed countries.
May 2015 | Energy Next | 59
 Book review | Energy Access

Achieving prosperity
through energy access
Almost 45 per cent of India’s rural population is devoid of access to modern
sources of energy, while over 85 per cent is dependent on biomass for its
cooking needs. In their book entitled ‘Achieving Universal Energy Access in
India- Challenges and the way forward’, Dr PC Maithani, Director MNRE,
and Deepak Gupta, ex-Secretary MNRE, attempt to look at the problems of
the present energy policy in so far as energy access is concerned and suggest
the way forward. A brief review

A
ccess to modern energy services is a prerequisite
for economic growth and human development.
The Johannesburg Summit on World Sustainable
Development in 2002 recognised this as the most
important component in achieving Millennium Development Goals.
The book is critical of the fact that there has not been much concrete
action globally with respect to energy access, especially considering
both its acknowledged importance and the scale of the problem.
The book highlights the enormous burdens caused by the lack
of energy access and directly links energy access to the Human
Development Index (HDI), supported by adequate data from
Indian as well as global perspective. The attempt of the authors is to
place energy access into the larger picture of empowerment and of
equitable and inclusive growth.
The authors discuss in detail the rural electrification scenario
in India- both in the context of electricity and cooking. The book
reviews the developments in the country’s electricity sector and
analyses the difficulties of grid supplies being able to fully resolve the
problem of electricity access, especially keeping in mind the losses in
rural supplies and the financial problems of the utilities. The authors
conclude that decentralised renewable energy solutions will be a
necessary part of the solution.
They then examine the efforts made through use of renewable
energy for providing electricity access and discuss various models
and the lessons learnt. It encourages the use of renewable energy as
an alternate medium, challenging the traditional power proponents.
Various challenges in attaining universal energy access have been About the authors
discussed in details and the way forward is suggested, including the Dr PC Maithani is director at MNRE.
availability of financial resources. Deepak Gupta is a former secretary of MNRE.
The book also highlights the relative neglect of the problem of Publisher & Price: Published by Sage India, the price
cooking energy. It stresses the need for the introduction of better of the book is `900 and can be purchased from
cook stoves. A road map is suggested. some of the famous online e-commerce portals.

60 | Energy Next | May 2015


IFC, IREDA partner to boost financing for RE
I
FC, a member of the World Bank Group,
and the Indian Renewable Energy
Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA)
will partner to provide much-needed
infrastructure financing for renewable energy
projects in India, which, in turn, will help boost
growth and create jobs.
IREDA, the financing arm of the Ministry of
New and Renewable Energy, is now the twenty-
seventh development finance institution globally
and the second in India, to sign IFC’s master
cooperation agreement. This collaboration will
help standardize steps that lenders take when co-
financing projects with IFC. The ultimate aim
is to make local currency financing available in
shorter time-frames and reduce financing costs
for lenders and borrowers.
“The partnership will help IREDA increase
its portfolio in financing renewable energy
projects, to support the government of India’s
plans to establish up to 175 gigawatts of
renewable energy projects over the next seven
years,” said K S Popli, Chairman and Managing
Director, IREDA. “Our clients will have
access to global best practices including IFC’s
environmental and social guidelines.”
Popli further said that the Ministry of New
and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is holding
review meeting every month with the states
after the companies made a commitment at the
first Renewable Energy Global Investors Meet &
Expo that was organised by the Ministry of New
IREDA Corner
and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
IFC’s master cooperation agreement was
created in 2009 in response to calls for finance
institutions to collaborate more closely to help
meet shortfalls in private sector financing during
the global financial crisis.
“Enhancing India’s power generation
capacity is critical to expand access to electricity
and support domestic manufacturing and
agribusiness sectors,” said Vivek Pathak, IFC’s
Director for Asia-Pacific. “Partnering with
IREDA will enable developers to speedily
commission renewable energy projects while
having a positive environmental footprint and
creating jobs.”
N P Singh, Adviser, MNRE, who was also
present at the signing in ceremony of the
agreement stated, “The estimated potential
in the solar energy sector is around 750 GW,
for wind it is 100 GW, 17GW for biomass and
20 GW for small hydro power. Presently, the
cumulative installed capacity is close to 36 GW.”
Hailing IREDA, Singh stated it is the only
financial body in the world, which is exclusively
for the renewable energy sector and lauded the
track record of IREDA.
Since the master cooperation agreement was
created, signatories have co-invested more than
$3 billion with IFC to support private sector
development across the world.
“IFC and IREDA will play a catalytic
role in private sector development by
providing long-term risk capital where
it is needed most,” said Hyun Chan Cho,
IFC’s Head for Infrastructure and Natural
Resources – Asia Pacific. “With this
partnership, we can respond more swiftly
to private sector financing needs and
boost job creation,” Cho added.
May 2015 | Energy Next | 61
 Corporate Buzz
Welspun inks 550 MW MoU with iPLON at Hannover
W
elspun Renewables
and iPLON recently
announced the signing of
a 550 MW memorandum
of Understanding (MoU). The Independent
Power Producer (IPP) has chosen iPLON
GmbH, a firm based in Schwaebisch Hall
Germany, for supply, installation and
commissioning of Solar PV power plant
automation systems for its upcoming
projects in India.
The Partnership is an endorsement of
the working relations shared by iPLON and
Welspun Renewables during the last 2 years.
During this period iPLON has dedicatedly
worked to support Welspun Renewables
ACME signs PPA for 30 MW Solar Project with UP
A
CME, India’s leading green
energy player, recently inked
the power purchase agreement
for 30 MW solar PV power
projects with Uttar Pradesh Power
Corporation Limited. The power plant
Dr Rajib K Mishra takes over as Director (Mktg & BD) PTC
D
r Rajib K Mishra has joined
as Director (Marketing
& BD) of PTC India
Limited. He is an Electrical
Engineer from NIT and Doctorate in
Business Administration from AMU. He
is handling Business Development and
Corporate Planning activities. Dr Mishra
was accorded visiting scholar status by
University of Texas, Austin in 2008 and
also has done Post Graduation from
62 | Energy Next | May 2015
in its vision of being the best Solar Project
Developer in India.
Commenting on the MoU, Vineet Mittal,
Vice Chairman Welspun Renewables stated,
“Welspun Renewables carries the responsibility
of bringing about low-carbon transition in the
energy sector. We are taking concrete actions
in solving India’s energy-related issues – energy
will be set-up at Mahoba District over 150
acres of land.
According to the terms and conditions
of the agreement, ACME Group would
provide approx. 50 mn units power
annually for a period of 12 years at a tariff
of `8.93/ KWh and thereafter, it would
supply power for further 13 years at the
price of eleventh year Average Pooled
Purchase Cost(APPC).
Commenting on this momentous
occasion, Manoj Kumar Upadhyay,
Founder & Chairman, ACME Group
said, “We thank the Uttar Pradesh State
Government, Uttar Pradesh New and
Renewable Energy Development Agency
security and climate change.”
iPLON will offer its power plant automation
system, plant analysis tools, telemetry systems
and central monitoring systems required by
Welspun Renewables to manage their large
portfolio of projects.
iPLON’s CEO Victor Thamburaj stated,
“Through this venture we are making our
first investment in India with our operations
spreading across Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan,
Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. We are
effectively creating employment opportunities
and skill sets in the domain of India’s renewable
energy.It’s a proud moment for us to be able to
contribute to Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Make in
India’ campaign.”
(State Nodal Agency) and Uttar Pradesh
Power Corporation Limited (State Discom)
for the opportunity given to us to partner
with the state through green energy
generation. We look forward to helping
the state bring down its power demand-
deficit and look forward to support from
all stakeholders in making this state an
ideal green state.”
This project would entail an estimated
investment of approx $ 37 mm/ `225 crore.
The work on the project shall
commence by November 2015 and will be
commissioned by August 2016. This will
be evacuated by 132 KV line connecting
the power plant to the State grid.
NTNU, Norway under Norad Fellowship.
He has an experience of more than
30 years of working in the Government
Power Utilities and has served NTPC
and POWERGRID. He was Head of
commercial, Business Development and
Marketing function of POWERGRID
diversified business from 2006 to 2008
and GM (Corporate Monitoring Group)
upto 2011. He has authored four books
and 24 papers.
 EN-PTC market watch

Key Highlights of CERC Monthly Report on

Short-term Transactions: January, 2015
Share of different segments in total ST market in Jan’15 is as
shown below:
• Total volume traded in ST market –
8646 MUs (down 9% YoY and up 2%
MoM) – ~10% of total generation in
Jan’15. Market size touched 10%
mark after three months
• UI volume decreased 31% YoY but
increased 6% MoM. Excluding UI,
ST market contracted by 1% YOY and
expanded by 1% MoM

Percentage contribution of different segments in 6920 MUs

(Excluding UI):
Growth in
Component Absolute Terms
Monthly Yearly
Bilateral (Traders -5% 0%
+ TAM)
Bilateral (Direct) 4% -3%
Power Exchange 8% -3%
(DAM)

Percentage share of
different traders
(excluding cross-border,
including intra-state &
inter-state included)

• Price of electricity transacted through
trading licensees (`4.39/kWh) was
higher when compared to exchanges
(IEX – 2.95/kWh and PXIL – `2.67/
kWh). Last month’s prices were: IEX –
3.20, PXIL – 2.85 and Bilateral – 4.33.
• The gap between volume of sale and
buy bids placed through PXs shows
that there was less demand in IEX
(1:0.75) and higher in PXIL (1:1.17) than
supply. The same was 0.90 and 1.28
resp. last month.
• Top 5 sellers – Haryana, Jindal Power
Ltd., Karnataka, Sterlite India Ltd.
and UP and top 5 buyers – Rajasthan,
Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand,
Telangana and Kerala
• The volume of electricity that could
not be cleared due to congestion
was about 8% and 10% of the
respective actual cleared volume
in IEX & PXIL (congestion situation
worsened slightly from last month–6%)
• Increasing trend in forward prices
in Mar’15 and decrease in forward
prices in May’15 because contracts
executed in Mar’15 were at higher
prices and those for May’15 delivery
are executed at lower prices
• Solar RECs: 30650 (up MoM) traded
on IEX & 1490 on PXIL (down MoM) @
`3500/MWh i.e.floor price
• Non-Solar RECs: 393081 (up
MoM) traded on IEX and 143928
(down MoM) on PXIL @ `1500/
MWh i.e. floor price – REC
volume increasing due to RPO
compliance at the end of
financial year

May 2015 | Energy Next | 63

 IEX watch | Power trading

Price fluctuation at the

power exchanges
The power trading data at the two exchanges –the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and the
Power Exchange India Ltd (PXIL)- for the month of April 2015. The data tracks the trend of
power trading at both the exchanges on every Wednesday through the month

64 | Energy Next | May 2015

 EVENTS

May POWER-GEN May Wind Farm Jun Renewable Energy

14-16 India & Central
Asia
20-21 Development:
European
2-4 & Green Technology
International
The event is one of the Offshore 2015 Conference
leading ones dedicated One of the premier events The three-day international
to conventional power, dedicated to off-shore wind conference is being organized
renewable energy and T&D energy development, it aims
London, Bali, to give a fillip to the
New Delhi, sector in the region. It to provide a platform for the
India UK Indonesia renewable energy industry
expects to see a gathering utility companies, wind farm in the region. It aims to
of decision makers, operators, engineers, wind farm provide a unique platform
influencers, technical developers, consultants, energy to researchers, professionals,
experts and professionals analysts and other stakeholders academicians, manufacturers
from India and around the to explore the opportunities and project developers to
world in the power sector within the off-shore wind share and generate forum of
to discuss current trends industry and discuss latest the latest renewable energy
and future plans. technology advancements to and green technology.
support recent growth.

www.indiapowerevents.com/index. http://v11.vuturevx.com/exchange-sites/Whitmore%20
www.reegetech.com
html#leftinheritedtop_tabs_1 Group/59/events-pdfs-eu/ewp5-mktg-agenda.pdf www.ewea.org/annual2014/

Jun Jun Jul

Intersolar Europe Solar South Intersolar North
9-12 19-21 13-16 America

The event is world’s An event dedicated to the The conference-cum-

leading exhibition solar energy, with an aim exhibition is a premier
cum conference of the to bring together project event of the solar industry
solar industry, which developers, manufacturers, in North America. The
Munich, focuses on the areas of Chennai, consultants, installation San Francisco, focus of the event is on the
Germany solar PV technologies, India experts, policy makers USA areas of photovoltaics, PV
energy storage systems and other stakeholders production technologies,
and renewable heating on a single platform. The energy storage systems
technologies. It has evolved concurrent exhibition and solar thermal and
as the most important will serve as a networking heating technologies. It
industry platform for opportunity for all the is a platform where solar
equipment manufacturers, participants to exchange leaders from around the
suppliers, distributors, ideas and knowledge about world and across the solar
service providers and the sector. value chain converge and
partners of the solar help in shaping the solar
industry. industry in the region.

http://www.intersolar.de/en/home.html http://www.solarsouth.in/ http://www.intersolar.us/en/home.html

Jul Jul
SolarTech Egypt ASES SOLAR 2015
28-29 28-30
The conference & exhibition has been Created by solar enthusiasts and
JULY 2015

designed to create a stable ecosystem professionals for solar enthusiasts and

for RE deployment in Egypt. This professionals, the event will discuss
year, the focus will be on project the emerging solar technologies that
financing options, recent technology can be put to use in shaping the future
Cairo, updates and commercial market State energy scenario. This year’s theme is
Egypt development in the solar sector. The College, ‘Expanding Horizons: Shaping the
exhibition will enable leading solar PA, USA New Energy Economy’ which will
technology companies to showcase embrace the story of the past, enrich
their technologies & solutions to the the communities of today, and reveal
industry leaders and buyers. the trends of the future.

http://greenworldconferences.com/
produkt_245_solartech_egypt.htm http://solar2015.ases.org/

66 | Energy Next | May 2015

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