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.
IEA Expects Annual Global Energy Investments to Hit $1.9 Trillion in 2021
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released its latest report on ‘World Energy Investment 2021’. According to the report, the annual global energy investment is set to rise to $1.9 ...
Explosion at Hoshine Silicon’s Polysilicon Plant in China Threatens Supply
A massive explosion was reported at a polysilicon factory in the city of Shihezi in China’s Xinjiang region. The plant produces raw materials for polysilicon used in the production of ...
Delhi Reels Under Rising Pollution Levels and Soaring Mercury
On Wednesday, June 9, 2021, temperatures in Delhi peaked at 42.2° Celsius as the heatwave gripped the nation’s capital. With high temperatures before the onset of monsoon being quite a ...
Biofuel Company Greenjoules Raises $4.52 Million from Blue Ashva Capital
Pune-based biofuel company Greenjoules has raised ₹330 million (~$4.52 million) in a 'Series A' round of funding from Blue Ashva Capital through its Blue Ashva Sampada Fund. Blue Ashva Capital ...
Consider USD-INR Exchange Rate Escalation for Round-The-Clock Renewable Bid: NSEFI
The National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), an umbrella organization of all solar energy stakeholders of India, wrote to the Ministry of Power (MoP) to consider the U.S. dollar ...
US Energy Storage Market Installs 910 MWh of New Systems in Q1 2021
The United States installed 910 MWh of new energy storage systems in the first quarter (Q1) of 2021 – an increase of 252% over Q1 2020, making it the biggest Q1 ...
Solar Developer and NTPC Spar Over GST Compensation Claim
Renew Wind Energy (TN2) has filed a petition before the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), seeking clarification on a previous order it had passed on considering goods and services tax ...
Rajasthan Rooftop Solar Installers Question Latest Capacity Allocated by Nodal Agency
The Renewable Energy Association of Rajasthan (REAR) has raised a series of queries with the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RREC) after the latter allocated an additional 5,600 kW capacity under ...
Daily News Wrap-up: Tata Power’s 37 Commercial Consumers Opt for Green Power in Mumbai
Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world: Tata Power announced that over 37 of its commercial customers with consumption of more than 19 MUs ...
194 MU of Solar Traded in IEX’s Green Term-Ahead Market in May
The Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) traded 194 million units (MU) of solar in May, a 149% increase compared to the 78 MU traded in April 2021. The Exchange traded 6,540 ...
Solar Industry Reacts: PLI Program Good for Large Manufacturers; MSMEs Left Out
India has launched a performance-linked incentive (PLI) program to support vertically integrated, gigawatt-scale manufacturing of high-efficiency solar modules. The implementing agency – the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), has ...
Daily News Wrap-Up: Sembcorp Raises $302 Million in a Green Bond Offering
Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world: Renewable energy company Masdar and Abu Dhabi Airports have announced the completion of Abu Dhabi's largest solar-powered ...
Bidders Go to Court Over Lack of Transparency in EESL’s Solar Pumps Auction
Last week, the Delhi High Court directed the Government of India to respond to a petition filed by domestic solar manufacturers, who have requested the termination of the Pradhan Mantri ...
Generic Tariff of ₹7.08/kWh for Waste-to-Energy Projects Until March 2022
The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has retained the tariff for waste-to-energy projects at ₹7.08 (~$0.097)/kWh from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. The Commission had determined the tariff ...
Power Grid Acquires Two Transmission Projects to Evacuate Solar Power in Rajasthan
State-owned power transmission company Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) has acquired two transmission projects - Fatehgarh Bhadla Transco Limited and Sikar New Transmission Limited under Phase II, Part-B, and ...
New Inverter Technologies Reducing the LCOE of Large-Scale Solar Projects
The second wave of the pandemic has been negatively impacting the cost of large-scale solar project development and management. There is also a surge in component prices, adding to the ...
Month in a Minute: Top Headlines from Indian Renewable Sector in May 2021
Here is a recap of some of the most important headlines from May 2021: In the first quarter (Q1) of the calendar year (CY) 2021, India generated about 17.5 BU ...
Germany Installed 619 MW of New Solar Capacity in April 2021
According to the latest numbers announced by the German Federal Network Agency Agency Bundesnetzagentur, the country's solar PV installations in April 2021 totaled 619.5 MW, an increase of 59 MW (10.5%) compared to ...
Suzlon to Develop a 252 MW Wind Project for CLP India
Renewable energy solutions providers Suzlon Group has announced that it has won an order from CLP India to develop a 252 MW wind power project. The project is in Sidhpur, ...
Solar Cell & Module Maker Websol Energy Posts Revenue of ₹1.54 Billion in FY 2021
Kolkata-based manufacturer of solar cells and modules Websol Energy System has announced combined financial results for the fourth quarter (Q4) and the financial year 2021 (FY21). The company reported a ...
REC’s Profits Surge 71% Year-Over-Year to ₹83.62 Billion in FY 2021
REC Limited has announced the consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter (Q4) and financial year (FY) 2021. REC's net profit surged by 71% in FY 2021 to ₹83.62 billion ...
Goa Launches Solar-Based Remote Village Electrification Program
In a green push, the Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, has inaugurated a solar photovoltaic (PV)-based electrification program focusing on delivering clean, affordable, and reliable energy to those residing ...
IREDA Posts a Record 61% YoY Growth in After-Tax Profits in FY 2020-21
The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) posted a profit after tax of ₹3.46 billion (~$47.75 million) as against ₹2.1 billion (~$29.67 million) in the last financial year (FY), registering ...
Solar Reigns Greece’s 350 MW Auction for Solar and Wind Projects
Greece’s Regulatory Authority of Energy (RAE) declared the results of the 350 MW joint competitive bidding for solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind projects. Solar PV projects ruled the roost as ...
Higher Module Prices Raise Cost of Large-Scale, Rooftop Solar Systems in Q1 2021
The average cost of large-scale solar projects first quarter of 2021 (Q1 2021) was about ₹36.6 million (~$505,308)/MW, according to Mercom’s recently released Q1 2021 India Solar Market Update. The cost ...
