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.
IREDA Signs MoU to Support NHPC in Green Energy Projects for Five Years
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), which falls under the administrative control of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NHPC for ...
Tata Power Receives Letter of Award to Develop a 110 MW Solar Project in Kerala
Tata Power has received a Letter of Award (LoA) from the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to develop a 110 MW solar project. The energy will be supplied to KSEB ...
Tata Power Completes Acquisition of 51% Stake in Odisha DISCOMs
Tata Power has announced its takeover of Western Electricity Supply Company of Odisha (WESCO) and Southern Electricity Supply Company Of Orissa (SOUTHCO). From now on, WESCO and SOUTHCO will operate ...
Goa Issues Empanelment Tender for 80 MW of Residential Rooftop Solar Systems
The Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) has issued an expression of interest (EoI) for empanelment of agencies to design, supply, install, test, and commission grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems ...
US Renewable Energy Consumption Surpasses Coal for First Time in 130 Years
Annual energy consumption from renewable sources in the United States in 2019 exceeded coal consumption for the first time since 1885, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) ‘Monthly ...
Month in a Minute: Top Headlines from Indian Renewable Sector in December 2020
Here is a recap of some of the most important headlines from December 2020: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has constituted a high-level inter-ministerial Apex Committee to ...
SECI Cancels Tender for 7.5 GW of Solar Projects in Leh and Kargil, To Issue a Fresh One
The Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has terminated its request for selection (RfS) issued for setting up 7,500 MW of grid-connected solar projects in Leh and Kargil (Jammu ...
Telangana Releases Final Cost of Residential Rooftop Solar Systems With Net Metering
The Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TSREDCO) has finalized the pricing for 1-500 kW grid-connected rooftop solar systems with net metering. It also released the list of 65 suppliers ...
US Non-Residential Rooftop Solar System Installation Prices Fell 4% in 2019
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has released the 'Tracking the Sun' report 2019, which summarizes installation prices and other trends among grid-connected, distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the ...
Germany Added 481 MW of Solar Installations in November 2020
Germany's solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in November 2020 reached 480.84 MW, according to the latest numbers announced by the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur). The new figures indicate an increase of ...
Telangana Government to Use EVs on Monthly-Hire, Calls for Fleet Operators to Empanel
The Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TSREDCO) has invited bids for the empanelment of travel firms, agencies, and fleet operators to supply electric cars on a monthly hire basis ...
TNERC Clarifies Single/Three-Phase Inverter Usage in Rooftop Solar Systems up to 4 kW
Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) heard a petition filed by the Solar Energy Developers Association, Salem, seeking clarification on 'Low Tension (LT) Connectivity' covered in the 'Order on Rooftop ...
After a Successful Start, Uzbekistan Plans Another 500 MW of Solar Projects
Uzbekistan's Ministry of Energy has announced the third batch of solar photovoltaic public-private partnership (PPP) projects under the Uzbek Solar program in the first quarter of 2021. The project is ...
Indian Scientists Develop Hybrid Supercapacitors with Unique Electrode Material
A team of scientists has developed a low-cost supercapacitor device with excellent capacitive retention using a novel electrode material they synthesized which can pave the way for the next generation ...
Rajasthan Sets a Tariff of ₹6 for Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has issued a draft order for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, tariffs, and other regulatory issues. As per the draft order, a tariff of ...
5 Lowest Solar Tariffs of 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected project deadlines, availability of labor, and component supplies in 2020. However, solar tariffs continue to fall, with the lowest ever recorded tariffs discovered just this ...
Karnataka Allocates Over $3 Billion for Setting up EV Base, Solar-Wind Hybrid Projects
The Karnataka government has approved ₹224.19 billion (~$3.03 billion) to establish an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing base in the state. It also approved ₹42.40 billion (~$574 million) for two wind-solar ...
Here Are 2020’s Top Electric Vehicle Funding Deals
In a rough year for businesses, 2020 saw some high points for the Indian electric vehicle (EV) segment in terms of funding. EV companies are betting that the consumer mindset ...
Developers Prefer String Inverters for Bifacial Modules With Trackers: Mercom Webinar
Mercom hosted a webinar to discuss how solar inverter technologies impact project performance. The webinar shed light on the technological trends pushing the market and how Indian developers decide which ...
Transport Ministry Seeks Feedback on Plan to Promote E20 Fuel to Reduce Oil Dependence
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has sought comments from the public on the adoption of E20 as an automotive fuel and for the adoption of its mass ...
World Bank Approves $107 Million for Renewable Energy Transition in Maldives
The World Bank approved a $107.4 million project to help the Maldives accelerate its transition to renewable energy. The 'Accelerating Renewable Energy Integration and Sustainable Energy' (ARISE) project builds on ...
Uttar Pradesh Starts India’s First Blockchain-Enabled Rooftop Solar Trading Platform
Uttar Pradesh has launched India and South-Asia's first blockchain-enabled 'peer to peer' (P2P) trading platform for rooftop solar power. The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL), Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited ...
China and India Poised to Lead Global Electricity Demand in 2021: IEA Report
After experiencing its most significant decline in decades, global electricity demand is expected to rebound modestly next year, led by China, India, and other emerging economies, according to a new ...
SunEdison to Acquire 36% Stake in Sherisha Solar with a Capital Infusion of ₹187 Million
The board of directors of the Chennai-based renewable energy company, SunEdison Infrastructure Limited, has approved a capital contribution of ₹187 million (~$2.5 million) in Sherisha Solar Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) ...
Mercom’s Webinar to Discuss the Impact of Solar Inverters on Project Performance
Technological innovations in the field of solar have been pivotal in its rising popularity and expansion globally. Besides advancements in solar PV technology, innovations in solar inverters also affect the ...
