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.

Azure Power Sells Non-Core Rooftop Solar Portfolio to Radiance Renewables
Independent solar power producer Azure Power Global has announced that it had signed a binding agreement to sell its non-core rooftop solar portfolio to Radiance Renewables for ₹5.36 billion (~$73.5 ...

Airtel’s Data Centers Go Green Sourcing Power from a 14 MW Captive Solar Project
Digital communications solutions provider Bharti Airtel announced that it will begin sourcing power from a 14 MW captive solar project to meet the energy requirements of its core and edge ...

Government-owned Power Financing Institutions Reduce Lending Rates
State-owned non-banking financial firms, Power Finance Corporation (PFC), and REC will reduce lending rates by up to 2% points from April 1, 2021. According to the PTI, the PFC said, ...

Daily News Wrap-up: NTPC Commissions 70 MW Capacity of a Solar Project
Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world: NTPC has announced that 70 MW of 85 MW Bilhaur Solar PV Project at Bilhaur, Uttar Pradesh, ...

Can Rooftop Solar Come out of Ground-Mount’s Shadow and Be the Next Big Thing?
Cumulative rooftop solar installations crossed the 5 GW mark at the end of 2020 but still make up a small portion of the 40 GW of solar installed in the ...

SECI to Tender 1.2 GW of ISTS-Connected Solar Wind Hybrid Projects Soon
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has informed that it will issue a request for selection (RfS) for setting up 1,200 MW of inter-state transmission system-connected (ISTS) solar wind ...

SECI Amends 25 MW Solar Tender in West Bengal, Factors in BCD Imposition
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has amended the tender for a 25 MW solar project in West Bengal, asking bidders to take note of the imposition of the ...

Apple’s Global Suppliers Moving to 100% Renewable Energy in Their Operations
Apple announced that over 110 of its manufacturing partners worldwide are moving to 100% renewable energy. The move would mobilize nearly 8 GW of clean energy to come online. These ...

Daily News Wrap-up: EESL Subsidiary to Aggregate Demand for EVs, Solar in Rural Areas
Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world: Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), has signed an ...

DGTR Initiates Anti-Dumping Probe Into Import of Fluoro Backsheet Used in Solar Modules
The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has initiated an anti-dumping probe on 'fluoro backsheet' imported from China. Fluoro backsheet is a polymer-based component used in the manufacture of solar ...

Tender to Procure Renewable Energy to Charge a Battery Energy Storage System
The Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) has issued an expression of interest (EOI) inviting renewable energy project developers to sell energy (27-30 MWh/day) for seven years. The energy will ...

Transmission Constraint Should Not Restrict Power Generators: Commission to DISCOM
The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission has directed the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (RVPN) to ensure no curtailment of any power generator connected at 132/33 kV Sheo Substation on account ...

Daily News Wrap-up: Adani Green Completes the Acquisition of a 20 MW Solar Project
Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world: Adani Green Energy Limited has completed the acquisition of 100% of the share capital and all the ...

Amendments to Solar, Wind, and Hybrid Policies in Andhra Pradesh
The Andhra Pradesh Energy Department has clarified that the amendments made to policies on the wind, solar, and wind-solar hybrid projects will apply to projects commissioned after November 18, 2019 ...

Tata Power, Nexcharge Install Battery-Based Community Energy Storage System in Delhi
Tata Power Delhi Distribution (Tata Power DDL), which supplies electricity to around seven million households in Delhi, has launched India's first grid-connected 'Community Energy Storage System' (CESS) in collaboration with ...

How Policy Flip Flops Hamper Growth of Solar Sector
India has set some lofty targets for renewable energy, including 175 GW of renewables by 2022 (100 GW from Solar) 450 GW of renewables by 2030 (unofficial). India is also ...

China Installs Record 52 GW of New Wind Capacity, Doubles Annual Installations in 2020
According to the latest data released by Global Wind Energy Council's (GWEC) market intelligence, 2020 was a record year for wind power growth in the Asia Pacific, specifically driven by ...

Japan’s JICA to Loan up to JPY 10 Billion to Tata Cleantech to Finance Renewables
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed a loan agreement for a maximum amount of JPY 10 billion (₹6.65 billion) with Tata Cleantech Capital (TCCL), an Indian non-banking financial company ...

India’s $122 Billion Stimulus for Energy Sector Lacks Clarity in Funding Streams: Report
India has committed more public money than any other economy– at least $122 billion – to support the energy sector since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, but the government’s ...

Ceiling Tariff of ₹3.10/kWh Set for Small Solar Projects Under KUSUM Program
The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has approved several deviations in the request for selection (RfS) and power purchase agreement (PPA) for procurement of power from the small capacity ...

Vestas Dominated Global Wind Turbine Supplier Market in 2020
Danish manufacturer Vestas holds the title of the world’s largest supplier of wind turbines in 2020 across the onshore and offshore wind, according to the latest preliminary rankings for the ...

Daily News Wrap-Up: Goa Signs MoU With GIZ for 100% Renewable Energy Roadmap
Goa's state government has signed a memorandum of understanding with German-based Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to develop a state energy plan for a 100% renewable energy roadmap under ...

Adani Green to Acquire a 50 MW Solar Project from SkyPower Global
Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) announced that it had signed a share purchase agreement to acquire a 100% stake in an SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) holding a 50 MW operating ...

Solar Monitoring and Analytics Platform Prescinto Closes $3.5 Million in Seed Funding
Solar monitoring and analytics platform Prescinto has announced the close of $3.5 million in seed round funding. The round was led by Venture Catalysts, with participation from Inflection Point Ventures, ...

AfDB to Fund $530 Million for Renewables Transmission Projects in Angola
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has committed $530 million to finance a 343 km, 400 kV central-south transmission line connecting the north and south transmission grids in Angola for distributing ...