Tuesday, October 13, 2015

World's First Solar Powered Portable AC in India


An innovative air conditioner is soon going to be available to the Indian consumers, allowing them to make their summer cool, relaxing as well as pleasant in a cost-effective and eco-friendly manner. A Russian company has developed this portable air conditioner that promotes personal hygiene and a great indoor air quality. The company is planning to launch the air conditioner in the Indian market any time next year. 

The CEO & Co-founder of the Company, Eugene Dubovoy reveals, “Evapolar consumes very less energy and we have both types of ACs to be run on electricity and solar batteries. The solar version of Evapolar has especially been developed for the Indian region that has a significant solar power potential.” He, however, didn’t disclose the price of the AC at which it will be available to the Indian consumer. “It will be available at a reasonable price, besides it will bring a long-term cost savings because of its energy efficiency,” he states.  

In India, where the summer season is invariably very long, this portable air conditioner can make people’s life comfortable and healthier. The country receives sunshine throughout the year and hence a solar-powered air conditioner will prove a more viable as well as a cheaper option for the Indian population. Moreover, in the present scenario of global warming and climatic change, an energy-efficient and eco-friendly AC will not affect the environment as well. Besides, solar batteries make Evapolar a real portable air conditioner to enjoy personal air conditioning anywhere and at any time. 

Evapolar has gained a worldwide popularity since its very pre-launch. This small size AC is going to redefine the ways people use to enjoy the air conditioning. This plug-and-play air conditioner can be placed on a table, desk or anywhere to enjoy a cool breeze of air to create a relaxing environment. People in India will possibly be able to get the product next year to enjoy their summer with a great personal air conditioning experience. To know more about this portable and solar-powered personal air conditioner, one may visit the website http://evapolar.com/. 

original post: thehansindia




India’s NTPC tenders for 400MW of solar projects in Telangana



Indian utility National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has issued another tender for 400MW of solar projects to be located in the Indian state of Telangana.
The two requests for selection, which will go through a reverse bidding process, come under India’s National Solar Mission, the country's flagship programme for deploying solar capacity.
The first tender is for 350MW of capacity, made up of ten 35MW projects in the open category. The second is for 50MW made up of ten 5MW projects to come under Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) rules, which require the project developer to use locally produced cells and modules.
It should be noted that in August, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled against India in a long-running dispute instigated by the US over the inclusion of the DCR in its India's national solar programme, however, the ruling has yet to be enforced.
Having procured the power from the private developers, NTPC plans to bundle 2MWh of solar power with 1MWh of thermal power.
In August, NTPC announced plans to build 15GW of solar projects, which will be made more competitive by bundling the electricity produced together with electricity from some of India’s oldest coal-fired power plants.
Jasmeet Khurana, senior consulting manager at analyst firm Bridge to India, told PV Tech: “India now has a healthy pipeline of new allocations and is on its way to become a 5-10GW a year market in the next couple of years. This will provide significant opportunities to new developers as well as help existing developers ramp up their asset portfolios.”
He added that the tally of open tenders in India has now reached 5,120MW.
India targets 100GW of solar capacity by 2022 and recently submitted its INDC aiming to have 40% of its energy mix coming from alternative sources by 2030

Original Post: PV Tech



Thursday, October 8, 2015

Germany promises 1 billion euros for India's solar projects




Giving a thrust on clean energy, today pledged about one billion euros (Rs 7,300 crore) assistance for India's solar projects as part of the bilateral cooperation in energy sector. 

The joint statement issued after the meeting of Prime Minister Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said both the countries will continue to intensify their cooperation in developing climate-friendly and sustainable solutions for India's expanding energy needs. 

The implementation of Green Energy Corridors Partnership, with an overall German commitment of 1.15 billion euros in the last two years, is progressing well, it said. 

"Both countries welcomed the MoU on an Indo-German solar energy partnership based on concessional loans in the range of one billion euros over the next 5 years," the statement said. 

and Germany recognise that renewable energy and the efficient use of energy are most effective approaches to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in both the countries, it added. 

It further said that Germany welcomes India's intention to transform its energy sector by increasing the share of renewable energy, particularly solar, in electricity generation, consistent with its goal of 175 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2022. 

The two sides expressed their readiness to work together to reach an ambitious and universal climate agreement under the Convention, it said. 

"They reaffirm that the protocol, another legal instrument or agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention applicable to all parties shall address in a balanced manner, inter alia, mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology development and transfer, and capacity-building, and transparency of action and support," the statement said. 

India and Germany also recognise that science, technology and innovation play a crucial role for the development of affordable, accessible and adaptable solutions in the areas of low carbon development and renewable energy generation, it added. 

The statement further said that the Indo-German Climate and Renewables Alliance shall intensify cooperation on climate and energy technology issues, including within the already existing fora established for this purpose. 

"It shall foster stronger integration of all actors concerned with bilateral cooperation on climate and energy technology issues, and for this purpose will encompass progressive public and private sector entities from both countries," it added. 

Both countries, it said, will intensify their ongoing cooperation on climate and renewables technology under the new Indo-German Climate and Renewables Alliance, including on next generation solar technology, renewable energy storage, super-efficient appliances and buildings, energy-efficient rail and water infrastructure and off shore wind. 

Both countries affirm that several already established bilateral dialogue structures, such as the Indo-German Energy Forum and the Indo-German High-Technology Partnership Group are already doing important work for the transition to low-carbon economies.

Original Post: Business Satandard


Capital to soon get solar autos



NEW DELHI: The capital is likely to get solar-powered autorickshaws soon. Delhi transport minister, Gopal Rai, on Thursday flagged off a new prototype of a solar-powered autorickshaw, which he said could be used to replace the old petrol-based ones.


These autorickshaws are being manufactured by a Bengaluru-based company, Alfa Bravo Motors, which will also run pilot projects in three other cities. A few days ago, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari flagged off the first prototype at Nagpur.


"This autorickshaw will run from Delhi Secretariat to ITO initially. If the feedback is good, we will look at introducing it on other stretches," said an official from Rai's office.


The autorickshaws can run on battery that can be charged with grid electricity or with solar panels fitted on top of the vehicle. "The cost of operating an autorickshaw on petrol is Rs 4.50 per km, while it is only Rs 1.50 per km for this rickshaw," added the official.

Original Post: TOI



Majority of India's 13 GW solar projects to wrap up by early 2017





India currently has 13 GW of solar projects in progress, most of which are to be hooked to the grid by end-2016 or the start of 2017, according to estimates by consultancy firm Bridge To India.
The calculations include both photovoltaic (PV) schemes with secured power purchase agreements (PPA) and projects for which tenders have already been signed. In other words, the country may triple its installed solar capacity in just one year, putting it among the leaders on the global market.
Over 8.8 GW of the capacity falls under the state solar policies of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka alone. In turn, central allocations such as the second phase of the National Solar Mission programme are responsible for 3.6 GW.
The fight against growing power deficits and limited power transfer from other regions have pushed South India in the leading position in terms of solar development. Nearly half of the cumulative solar capacity planned for 2017 will be in four southern states, namely Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. This means that they could surpass the current leaders Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Original Post: by 


State coal mining firm plans 1GW of solar in India


State-owned coal mining company Coal India Limited (CIL) plans to develop 1GW of solar power projects across India in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint.
Nagendra Kumar, technical director of CIL, told PV Tech that the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to carry out the solar projects. SECI was recently renamed Renewable Energy Corporation of India (RECI) as it became a commercial entity.
Kumar said: “We are trying to locate new states, but at the first stage we are looking at Madhya Pradesh.”
CIL plans to complete at least one 250MW project within one year in Madhya Pradesh. Kumar added that to complete 1GW of installations there is a problem with land acquisition currently. Land in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa and Chhattisgarh were cited as potential options.
Kumar said the entrance into the solar market is “one step” the company is taking to reduce its carbon footprint.
Yesterday multinational conglomerate Aditya Birla Group also announced its partnership with private equity investor Abraaj Group to develop utility-scale solar power plants in India. The new renewable energy platform, Aditya Birla Renewables Limited, plans to bid for projects tendered in both state and national auctions in India. For example, there are state auctions coming up in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
Original Post :Tom Kenning




Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Solar power is booming in India. But will it reach those who need it most?




Original Post: Global voices/ pro.org

The sun is shining on India, and India is poised to take advantage of it, with massive investments in solar energy facilities to help meet the needs of a population that is expected to grow to make it the planet’s most populous nation by 2022. But will the power go to the people who need it most?
With its large land mass and tropical location, many experts consider the country particularly suitable for solar power. In fact, a recent study by Deloitte and the Confederation of Indian Industry estimated India’s solar power potential at 749 gigawatts — nearly three times the country’s entire installed electrical capacity in 2012 — and reported that not even 1 percent of this potential is currently tapped.
The Indian government is making aggressive moves to accelerate the country’s solar energy supply. According to Bridge to India, a Delhi-based solar energy firm, India’s solar industry is expected to grow 250 percent this year, putting the country on track to become one of the top five solar countries globally. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has just approved a plan to develop 50 solar cities. The world’s first airport that runs entirely on solar power was recently built in the southwestern Indian state of Cochin. And India is soon to have the world’s largest solar power station.
Describing solar energy as the “ultimate solution,” Modi pledged to give all Indians access to electricity and called on the country’s scientists to develop more efficient solar energy equipment.
India’s opportunity of a lifetime
“Solar power is India’s opportunity of a lifetime. It has the power to address not only India’s development problems, but it could also be a game changer for global climate change,” says Tobias Engelmeier, director of Bridge to India. “Reaching a capacity of 100 gigawatts in 15 years is realistic,” he says.
According to the Delhi-based think tank The Energy and Resources Institute, 300 million people in India have no access to electricity. Solar power could make it easier for schoolchildren to do homework after dark, help residents connect to the world through mobile phones and more. However, Engelmeier says, it will be a challenge for solar power to filter to the urban poor:
"Decisions regarding the solar power investments are very politically driven and erratic. Even those who have access to electricity in cities regularly suffer from power cuts. Especially without centralized power systems and with the unpredictable nature of politics, it’s difficult to anticipate what will happen."
That said, many initiatives intend to make India’s urban poor benefit from the solar power boom. Through the project “Lighting a Billion Lives,” The Energy and Resources Institute has already illuminated more than half a million households not just in India, but also in 11 other developing countries. Similarly, the Small-Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fundprovides financial, technical, and business support to small enterprises that provide solar infrastructure. Established in 2012, the Australia- and India-based social business Pollinate Energy has sold micro solar grids in more than 1,000 communities.
“It will be the [non-profit] sector and the individuals from communities who will leverage the solar power boom to slums,” says Katerina Kimmorley, founding director of Pollinate Energy.
The future ahead
However, even at subsidized rates offered by social businesses such as Pollinate Energy, a solar power unit costs Rs. 5500 (US$83), whereas a daily wage of a construction worker can be as low as Rs. 200 (US$3). Many urban dwellers work in volatile sectors, such as construction, where jobs are cut during the rainy season, which means many households would likely find it difficult to afford such solutions.
Not only that, but electricity is not the energy upgrade India’s poorest residents need most. By far the greatest use of energy in slums is for cooking food and sterilizing water — a need currently met by biomass fuels, which pollute the air and cause health problems, and which cannot easily be met by micro-solar photovoltaics because of the relatively small amount of electricity they produce. Nevertheless, micro-solar grids can benefit households to a certain degree, especially when it comes to satisfying smaller everyday needs, such as illuminating houses and charging mobile phones.
There’s little doubt that it will take many years, if not decades, for consumer demand and rising market competition to make solar power affordable enough for all. However, with the right steps, policies, and the heavy involvement of the nonprofit sector, solar may indeed play an important role in helping India’s 300 million current power-less people gain access to electricity.