Alpha Technologies acquires cleantech solutions firm NavSemi Energy...

 

US-based Alpha Technologies has acquired Bangalore-based NavSemi Energy for an undisclosed amount, the company said in a release.

Founded in 2008, NavSemi designs and manufactures products that extract efficacy from PV/solar systems by maximising the energy harvesting capabilities of individual solar panels.

NavSemi’s current product range focuses on standalone market with solar charge controllers for home and street lighting, solar BTS systems, standalone battery based residential and commercial systems and micro grid solutions. Based in Bangalore, the firm has additional offices in Singapore and the US.

Alpha Technologies is engaged in designing and manufacturing of power systems for renewable and other energy applications, backup power, and industrial applications. It provides cable-TV broadband network powering product, UPS solutions, DC power systems and hybrid systems.

The original article is posted here.

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Around 37% area of Western Ghats have been notified as no-go Zone for thermal projects by MoEF...

 

MoEF notified around 60,000 Sq km area of the Western Ghats across six states as ecologically sensitive are (ESA), making it a no-go zone where activities like mining, quarrying and setting up thermal plants and other high polluting industries will be banned with immediate effect.

However the hydro electric power projects and windmill will be allowed in the ESA under strict green norms and monitoring.

Under the said notification, the MoEF has listed out state-wise, district-wise and taluka-wise villages of six states - Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala & Tamil Nadu.

A committee will be consituted to monitor implementation of the directive.

The original article is posted here.

The directive of MoEF can be downloaded from here.

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TNERC proposed amendments to the Tamil Nadu tariff regulations 2005....

 

 

Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has proposed certain Draft Amendment to various regulations of TNERC Tariff Regulations 2005 and the comments on the same are invited By 25th November 2013.

 

 

 

The major changes/amendments proposed by TNERC are as below:

• The ambit of the regulations have been extended to the co-generation, captive power plants and generation of electricity from renewable sources of energy including mini hydro projects ( covered under Non-conventional sources of Energy ) only to the extent to be specified by the Commission in the Tariff order or other orders issued from time to time.

• Provision of directing certain categories of consumers to maintain power factor at a prescribed level and levy disincentive for maintaining below the prescribed level has been introduced.

• Formula for calculating the cost of the infirm power supplied by the generators has been specified. The cost shall be paid by the distribution licensees. The allotment of infirm power shall be made among the distribution licensees in the state in the ratio of approved total sales of each distribution licensees in the state.

• Revised depreciation schedule has been specified.

• For the transmission tariff, the component of transmission tariff has been directed to reflect cost of capital investment, maintenance and operation of a transmission system to transfer bulk power to and from different locations. The revenue from this component of transmission tariff will meet the annual revenue requirement of transmission entity in respect of owning the transmission asset.

 

The proposed draft arrangements can be downloaded from this link.

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Sungrow Strengthens Marketing Power in India...

 

With the purpose of further improving global service effectiveness and customers' satisfaction, Sungrow officially enabled its Indian service site in Gurgaon, near New Delhi, since November 1, 2013.

As one of the emerging PV markets, India is a key chapter of Sungrow's overseas expansion strategy due to its abundant solar resource and huge energy demand. Recently, SUNGROW brand inverters have been deployed in a number of PV projects in this country, including a 5MW application in Rajasthan.

Sungrow authorized CTDI, a global engineering/repair/logistics service supplier, as the local service contractor in India. "We provide Sungrow's Indian clients a one-stop service solution which contains: a bilingual hotline of Hindi and English; a 60,000 sq ft. area for repair and spare parts storage; technical engineers trained by Sungrow's headquarters; real-time monitoring relying on customized software; replacements in place within 72 hours via air logistics as far as possible," Anil Rai, country manager of CTDI India, said. "CTDI India is very happy to partner with Sungrow, who's one of the leaders in Solar PV market. CTDI will support Sungrow in a more comprehensive way in the wake of Sungrow's rapid growth in India in the near future."

Along with this newly-launched Indian service site, Sungrow is gradually completing its global service system of the mainstream PV markets, and focusing on building up SUNGROW brand image throughout the world.

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SunEdison Launches Solar Water Pumps in India...

 

SunEdison , a leading solar technology manufacturer and provider of solar technology and solar energy services, today launched the SunEdison Solar Water Pump, a high performance solar PV-based water pump specially designed for agriculture. The Solar Water Pump will address a significant market, and help increase crop yield by delivering reliable irrigation without dependence on expensive diesel fuel or intermittent electrical power supply.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Pashupathy Gopalan, President, SunEdison, Asia Pacific, GCC and South Africa said, "SunEdison is committed to transforming lives through innovation. Our solar water pumps empower farmers to grow cash crops that require predictable irrigation and enables them to utilize land that they previously could not irrigate."

The SunEdison solar water pump, designed by R&D teams in California, USA and Bangalore, India, is an attractive solution for farmers who need year-round cultivation and predictable daytime irrigation.  According to a study by IIT Bombay, effective irrigation can lead to a significant increase in yield. Thus, solar water pumps can result in improved yields and can even provide an additional crop each year, enhancing food security. Solar pumps also benefit electricity supply companies and surrounding communities by reducing strain on the grid. Intended for use in rural environments, these innovative pumps feature rugged structural design, and are available in 3HP (horsepower), 5HP, 7.5HP and 10HP variants.

"SunEdison's solar water pump solution addresses and enables a large and growing market," said Ahmad Chatila, President and CEO of SunEdison. "It is a tremendous opportunity for us to grow our business and help people transform their lives."

SunEdison aims to bring the best in technology and quality to our customers. The solar pumping systems are designed with state of the art features and provide best-in-class performance. An intelligent pump controller continuously monitors power available from solar PV modules and drives a high-efficiency 3-phase AC pump at variable speeds to use every watt of power available and provide water through the day. Rugged industrial design ensures reliable performance in the most adverse operating conditions and ensures reliable and safe operation for over 15 years, while allowing for easy maintenance.

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Performance report of Solar projects under national solar mission...

 

 

MNRE has published the performance data of the projects commissioned under National Solar Mission Phase 1 (Batch 1 and Batch 2) for the month of September 2013 after skipping August 2013.

 

 

As the Batch 1 projects have completed one year (Oct-13 to Sep-13), the annual performance of the same are analyzed.

Under the performance data, the performances of solar projects in terms of monthly generation (in kWh) as well as CUF/PLF are being mentioned.

However, for the purpose of the analysis, only the generation figures given by MNRE are considered and are used to calculate the PLF of the project based on the installed capacity.

Further, out of the 28 commissioned projects, around 14 projects were having inconsistent data / data not available.

Hence, for the purpose of evaluating the performance of the Batch 1 Projects, the sample of 14 projects which were fairly reasonable data has been considered from the month of Oct-12 to Sep-13. 

On an average, the Batch 1 solar projects have achieved the annual Plant Load Factor of around 21.17%.

The complete analysis along with the datasheet from Oct-12 to Sep-13 is populated in the report format and attached herewith.

 

The same can be downloaded from this link.

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Alstom bags Rs 130 cr order from AP Transco...

 

Alstom T&D India on Thursday said it has been awarded contracts worth Rs 130 crore by Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd (AP Transco).

The deal is to supply two air-insulated substation projects to strengthen the power supply in Andhra Pradesh.

“Alstom’s 400 kV air-insulated substations will help meet energy demand by transporting the power produced at Hinduja National Power Corporation Ltd’s 1,040-MW coal-based thermal power station in Vishakhapatnam district across the State,” the company said in a statement.

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J&K develops 48 MW hydro; Soon to construct 500 MW thermal project...

 

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday said a 500-megawatt thermal power project would soon be set up with feedstock from the coal block allotted to the state by the central government to meet the state’s growing electricity demands.

Omar Abdullah laid the foundation of the 48 megawatt Kalnai hydro-power project in Doda district of Jammu region Wednesday.

Addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation of the project, the chief minister said indigenous generation of hydro-energy is the right initiative to achieve economic goals and generate substantial employment and business activities for youth, particularly in far-off villages and remote areas.

“We have targeted generation of 9,000 MW of power within next seven to eight years, and the necessary edifice has already been laid to achieve this stupendous task,” he said, adding that the projects for generation of 2,000 MW of hydro electricity have been cleared, and are under various stages of implementation.

He said local generation of 9,000 MW would not only enable the state to provide 24×7 electric supply to domestic consumers and industry, but its export would generate enough funds to launch wide-ranging development projects in various sectors of development.

“It would also help to generate large scale employment and give rise to various economic activities across the state,” Omar Abdullah said.

He also said the power generation sector had been flagged as significantly important by the coalition government in the state.

He added that the harnessing of this sector, which was left relatively under-developed till now, promises a bright and prosperous future to the state and its people.

“Though the gestation periods of the dozens of power projects cleared by my government under various modes are longer and will not necessarily benefit the present dispensation by way of receiving vote bank support of the people, yet the only aim of my government is to seek sustained economic prosperity and financial autonomy of the state,” the chief minister said.

Omar Abdullah said the power companies have been given strict directions to employ locals in project implementation works.

He said power companies have also been roped in to be partners in seven industrial training institutes in the state, so that required skill development programmes are run in these institutions and technicians and skilled youth are produced to get absorbed in upcoming power projects.

Power companies have also been directed to allot feasible works to the local contractors and transport operators so that the economic benefits accrue to various categories, the chief minister said.

The 48-MW Lower Kalnai hydro-electric project is a run-of-the-river project located on Lower Kalnai stream, a tributary of the Chenab in Thathri town of Doda district, about 200 km from Jammu.

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Unscheduled power cuts return in Coimbatore due to low wind, hydro power...

 

Coimbatore District is back to days of unscheduled power cuts. For the last three days, electricity consumers are facing three hours to six hours of power cut a day.

Officials of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) say that the substations follow a schedule for two hour load shedding in the morning hours and the schedule is repeated in the afternoon if there is a shortage in availability of power. The duration varies depending on the locality.

For instance, the power cut duration is more in rural areas. The situation is likely to be so till January.

The corporation has not published the schedule as the power availability situation differs every day.

Wind energy generation has dropped and north east monsoon is not as expected, resulting in shortage of power, they say.

K. Kasthurirangaian, president of Indian Wind Power Association, says that winds started declining in October. They may revive in a couple of days.

However, the State is likely to have suffered a loss of nearly 3,000 million units of power because of poor evacuation of wind energy.

The winds were good this year between April and October. But, the evacuation was less than last year, he says.

R. Ramachandran, president of Coimbatore District Small Industries’ Association, says that the power situation is turning out to be difficult for the small-scale industries. If the situation continues, it will again become a problem for the units. “We hope the Government will take some steps to improve the availability of power,” he says.

According to S. Ravikumar, president of Coimbatore Tirupur District Micro and Cottage Enterprises Association, the unscheduled power cuts without any prior information is affecting the industries.

The uncertainty in power availability in the State is hitting industrial operations and the Government should ensure that power is available continuously for at least eight hours a day to the industries.

K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, says that the Tangedco was implementing load shedding without any information to the public and the consumers were unaware of the schedule of power cut. They should be informed about the power situation in the State, the load shedding schedule and when the situation was expected to improve.

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SECI released standard PPA and VGF Securitization agreements for NSM Phase II Batch I Projects...

 

The Standard PPA and VGF Securitization agreements for the solar projects under National Solar Mission Phase II Batch I have been released and uploaded by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) on their website.

These documents are of high importance for the stake holders such as developers and bankers/financial institutions as the bankability of the projects will be determined based on these.

The terms and conditions as stipulated in the RfP documents are elaborated here with additions/clarifications on the below points:

• Failure to commission the project within three months of the specified date would encashment of the performance bank guarantees provided by the developer. Failure beyond three months would result in the reduction of the annual electricity tariff paid to the developer by half paisa per kWh per day of delay subject to a maximum delay of 24 months.

• SECI shall provide to the SPD, in respect of payment of its Monthly Bills and/or Supplementary Bills, a monthly unconditional, revolving and irrevocable letter of credit.

• As a Collateral Agreement to provide further support for the SECI’s obligations, the SPD and SECI shall execute Default Escrow Agreement for the establishment and operation of the Default Escrow Account in favour of SPD, through which the Incremental Receivables of the SECI shall be routed and used as per the terms of the Default Escrow Agreement.

As mentioned in the RfS document, the Pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for the various stakeholders on 19/11/2013.

The documents can be downloaded from these links:

• Standard Power Purchase Agreement
• Viability Gap Funding Securitization Agreement

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APTEL issues notices to Gujarat Solar Park Develoers...

 

The Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (Aptel) has issued notices to 80 Gujarat-based solar project developers on an appeal filed by Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL), the state government-run utility. GUVNL is seeking a cut in the rate of power it will buy from the solar players on the grounds that the actual cost incurred by developers of these projects was 40 per cent less than initially assumed.

The utility is seeking a proportionate cut in the rate to Rs 9 a unit from the Rs 12.54 agreed under the power purchase agreements (PPAs). GUVNL has signed PPAs with 80 players, including the solar arms of Tata, GMR Essar and Welspun.

The dispute has put solar energy projects in Gujarat of Rs 14,000 crore under a cloud.

The tribunal admitted the appeal, with a rider on its maintainability. "Since the maintainability of the appeal as well as the petition filed before the state commission is questioned, we deem it fit to admit this appeal, subject to maintainability," Aptel said in its order on Monday.

The hearing is set for December 11.

In August, Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC), the state regulator, had dismissed a review petition. A reason was the petition had been made after three years, while the time allowed for such petitions was 60 days from the original order.

In 2009-10, GERC had determined the rate through a consultative process. "The Commission decides to adopt Rs 16.50 crore per Mw (Megawatt) as capital cost for Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Project and Rs 13 crore per Mw for Solar Thermal Power Project," it had said.

Based on these rates, GUVNL signed 88 PPAs for 971.5 Mw aggregate capacity, in two phases. 857 Mw of solar capacity has been established, according to GUVNL.

At the originally agreed cost of Rs 16.5 crore per MW, the cost of these projects work out to Rs 14,140 crore.

But, GUVNL argues that several developers it had checked had incurred between Rs 10 crore to 13 crore per MW. "The weighted average woks out to around Rs 12 crore per MW."

At this rate, the total project cost comes to Rs 10,284 crore or Rs 3,856 crore less.

This difference of Rs 3,856 crore is a windfall for the developers and will result in additional burden for consumers, the utility argued.

"The increased tariff of Rs 3.54 per unit is a direct burden on the consumers of the state and is an unwanted, unjustified and windfall gain to the project developers," the petition said.

Besides challenging the petition on its maintainability and other technical grounds, developers say that a fall in cost of solar equipment and other costs was taken into account even at the time of fixing the tariff and it was one of the factors that had attracted investment in the renewable energy sector.

Changing terms of the PPA long after it was finalised, will affect future investments in the sector, they argue.

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