Author Archives: Rahul Nair
About Rahul Nair
Rahul is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Before entering the world of renewables, Rahul was head of the Gujarat bureau for The Quint. He has also worked for DNA Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad Mirror. Hailing from a banking and finance background, Rahul has also worked for JP Morgan Chase and State Bank of India. More articles from Rahul Nair.
Damodar Valley Plans 1.7 GW of Floating Solar Projects in West Bengal and Jharkhand
State-owned hydel and thermal power generator Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) announced that it would now focus solely on solar projects to add capacity. According to a PTI report, DVC has ...
Raipur Invites Fresh Bids to Set Up Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at 25 Locations
Raipur Smart City Limited has issued a request for proposal (RfP) for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at 25 locations in the city. October 3, 2020, is the ...
7,332 Schools in the United States Benefit from Solar Energy
By the end of 2019, 7,332 U.S. schools had turned towards solar power, nearly double the number five years earlier. As a result, more than five million students across the ...
Second Phase of FAME India Program for Electric Vehicles Gets New Extension
The government has extended the validity of the second phase of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME)-II program for all approved electric vehicle models. The validity has ...
Bids Invited for Recycling and Management of Waste from Renewables and Power Industry
The Department of Science & Technology (DST) invited bids for solid waste management of residuals emanating from the power industry. The tender has been floated for the disposal and recycling ...
Maharashtra’s Solar Association Alleges Mismanagement of Solar Subsidies by DISCOM
The Maharashtra Solar Manufacturers Association (MASMA) has expressed its displeasure with the way Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has been handling the state’s solar sector. The association has ...
MNRE Invites Bids to Install 50 Innovative Solar Pumps Under KUSUM Program
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) invited innovators, manufacturers, service providers to submit an expression of interest (EoI) for the installation of innovative solar pumps. MNRE will shortlist ...
India to Set up a Task Force to Establish Power Equipment Manufacturing Zones: RK Singh
The Union Minister of Power, R.K. Singh, cautioned domestic manufacturers against importing necessary equipment from ‘countries of concern.’ Singh spoke at a webinar- Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA) ...
Power Sale Agreement for 16.8 GW of Renewable Projects Yet to be Signed: RK Singh
The Minister of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), R.K. Singh, told the Lok Sabha that power supply agreements (PSAs) for 16.8 GW of renewable energy projects are yet to be ...
Off-Grid Solar Solutions Provider Greenlight Secures $90 Million in Funding
Greenlight Planet, a solar Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) off-grid solar solutions provider in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, secured $90 million in funding. The investment would fuel the expansion of the company’s ...
China’s New Framework to Boost Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
The finance ministry of the People’s Republic of China has issued a notice about launching demonstration applications of fuel cell vehicles. The notice about new policies to support hydrogen fuel ...
Banks Continue to Support Fossil Fuels Despite Pact to Support Climate Deal
Just when the United Nations Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) marked its first anniversary, the latest review of the signatory banks' financial records shows how much they deviated from their ...
Nearly 300,000 Households Electrified Through Off-Grid Solar Solutions: RK Singh
Over 300,000 households have been electrified through solar-based standalone systems, the Minister of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) R.K. Singh said in Lok Sabha recently. In October 2017, the SAUBHAGYA ...
Students in Gujarat Can Buy Cheaper Electric Vehicles through State Subsidies
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced that the state government would offer subsidies to encourage battery-operated two-wheelers and three-wheelers. Students studying from classes IX up to colleges will receive a ...
Solar Installations Surged, Wind Fell in Italy During First Half of 2020
In the first half of 2020, Italy added 339 MW of new solar, wind, and hydroelectric installations, a dip of 39% compared to the same period in 2019. Solar and ...
Construction Cost for Solar Projects Fell by 50% in the US During 2013-18
The latest report published the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that the annual capacity-weighted average construction cost for solar and onshore wind decreased considerably between 2013 and 2018. Natural ...
Spain to Invest €181 Million in Innovative Renewable Energy Projects
The Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE) will allocate €181 million (~$214 million) to support renewable energy projects in seven autonomous communities of Spain. The allocation is ...
Fourth Partner Energy Receives ₹1.26 Billion to Expand Distributed Solar Footprint
Symbiotics, an investment firm specialized in emerging, sustainable, and inclusive finance, issued its first bond the proceeds of which are exclusively used to finance renewable energy projects. It raised ₹1.26 ...
Google Meets 100% of Its Electricity Consumption Through Renewable Energy
Google's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sundar Pichai, in a video message, declared that Google had eliminated its carbon legacy. This brings Google's lifetime net carbon footprint to zero, making it ...
These High-Performance Organic Solar Cells Claim to Have an Efficiency of Over 14%
A research team from the South China University of Technology has claimed to have developed a new method of producing organic solar cells, which eliminate the need for potentially toxic ...
India Poised to Drive Global Energy Demand Growth: bp Report
The global energy system is fundamentally restructuring and becoming more diverse, driven by customer needs and increased competition between fuels, said the latest bp Energy Outlook 2020. The report highlights ...
Maharashtra to Procure 200 MW of Power from Wind Projects with Expired EPAs
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd. (MSEDCL) issued a Request for Selection to procure 200 MW of wind energy from intra-state wind power projects with expired or soon-to-be expired ...
Statkraft Acquires Five Irish Solar Farms Totaling 275 MW From Lightsource bp
Statkraft Ireland acquired five solar projects with a combined capacity of 275 MW from Lightsource bp. The projects are located in counties of Meath, Laois, Tipperary, and Cork. The acquisition is ...
ISA, MNRE, and World Bank Get Onboard to Bolster Global Cooperation for Solar Energy
The International Solar Alliance (ISA), the World Bank, and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement the ‘One Sun One World ...
NREL Researchers Discover New Materials for Super-Efficient Solar Cells
Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) discovered new materials for super-efficient solar cells of the future. The research focuses on a carefully designed molecule that can efficiently split ...
