Author Archives: Rakesh Ranjan
About Rakesh Ranjan
Rakesh is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, he worked in many roles as a business correspondent, assistant editor, senior content writer, and sub-editor with bcfocus.com, CIOReview/Silicon India, Verbinden Communication, and Bangalore Bias. Rakesh holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
Gujarat’s 500 MW Solar Tender Undersubscribed by 70 MW
The Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) has announced the list of technical bidders for the purchase of power from 500 MW of grid-connected solar projects (Phase VIII). Tata Power, ...
Rajasthan Captive Solar Projects to Pay 50% of Standard Transmission & Wheeling Charges
The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has come out with a suo-motu order regarding the directives issued by the state government for the banking of power, transmission and wheeling charges, ...
India and Sweden to Create $5 Million Fund to Research Smart Grids
Sweden and India recently announced the India-Sweden collaborative industrial research and development program at the India Smart Utilities Week. This collaborative effort will be co-funded by the Department of Science ...
EESL Modifies 1,000 EV Tender, Reduces it to 750
The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has issued amendments to the tender floated earlier for 1,000 air-conditioned four-wheeler electric sedan cars with a driving range of 180 km on a ...
Sterlite Secures Over ₹20 Billion for Lakadia Vadodara Transmission Project in Gujarat
Sterlite Power, a global power transmission developer, has announced that it has achieved the financial closure of the Lakadia Vadodara transmission project by securing ₹20.24 billion (~$274.86 million) in funding ...
Tata Power to Buy 50 MW of Wind Power from SECI at ₹2.52/kWh
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has approved a tariff of ₹2.52 (~$0.034)/kWh as requested by the Tata Power Delhi Distribution (TPDDL) for 50 MW of wind power from the ...
BESCOM to Empanel Agencies for 30 MW of Rooftop Solar Systems with Net Metering
The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) has invited expression of interest (EoI) for empaneled agencies to design, supply, install, and commission 30 MW of rooftop solar grid-connected power projects ...
CERC Approves Tariff of ₹2.54/kWh to Procure 100 MW of Solar Power from SECI
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has approved a tariff of ₹2.54 (~$0.035)/kWh as requested by Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) to procure 100 MW of solar power from ...
The Indira Gandhi National Open University’s Delhi Campus to go Solar
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with HMF Solar Power Limited for the installation of a 500 kW grid-connected rooftop solar power ...
SECI Announces 3 Solar Tenders Totaling 81 MW for Singareni Collieries in Telangana
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has floated tenders for a total of 81 MW (AC) of solar projects at Singareni Collieries Company Limited. The first tender is for ...
SECI to Sell 840 MW of Solar-Wind Hybrid Power to Haryana and Chhattisgarh
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has approved a tariff of ₹2.67 (~$0.036)/kWh for SBE Renewable and ₹2.69 (~$0.037)/kWh for Mahoba Solar for the 840 MW of wind-solar hybrid power ...
Bihar Announces Tender for 7 MW of Rooftop Solar Systems for Government Buildings
The Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency (BREDA) has invited bids for the design, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of 7 MW grid-connected rooftop solar PV projects. The projects will be ...
Important Headlines from India’s Renewable Sector in February 2020
February was a busy month for the domestic renewable sector, with many important events and announcements making the headlines. There were several important announcements in the month, including the Union ...
Gujarat Reissues EoI for Empaneled Agencies to Install 600 MW of Rooftop Solar Systems
The Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL) has reissued an expression of interest (EoI) for empaneled agencies to set up 600 MW of grid-connected residential rooftop solar projects in the ...
Policy Highlights for Solar and Other Renewables From February 2020
The month of February witnessed a slew of announcements, both at the center and the state level. The two most critical policy announcements were related to Coronavirus and the basic ...
A Solar Cell That Can Work at Night
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have come up with a solar cell that can work at night. Well, it might come as a surprise to many, but thanks ...
Odisha to Install 16.6 MW of Rooftop Solar Systems Across 17 Cities
The Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Limited (GEDCOL) has floated a tender 16.65 MW of grid-connected solar rooftop projects across 17 cities. The cities include Hirakud, Rourkela, Baripada, Burla, ...
EESL Successfully Installs One Million Smart Meters Across India
The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of public sector units under the Ministry of Power, says it has successfully installed one million smart meters across India under ...
SECI Gets Approval to Sell 600 MW of Solar Power to Haryana and Bihar at ₹2.44/kWh
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has approved a tariff of ₹2.44 (~$0.034)/kWh adopted by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to sell 600 MW of solar power allocated ...
SoftBank, AMP Energy, EDEN Renewables, ReNew Power Winners in SECI’s 1.2 GW Solar Auction
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has auctioned 1.2 GW of the interstate transmission system (ISTS) connected solar projects (Tranche VIII). In the auction, SBE Renewables Fifteen Private Limited ...
NTPC to Sell 600 MW of Solar Power to Bihar and Punjab at a Tariff of ₹2.60/kWh
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has approved a tariff of ₹2.60 (~$0.036)/kWh adopted by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to sell 600 MW of solar power allocated to ...
South Korean Polysilicon Manufacturer Hanwha to Close its Domestic Solar Business
After one of the largest polysilicon manufacturers OCI brought down the shutters on its domestic production, Hanwha Solutions has also decided to close its solar-grade polysilicon business after accruing losses ...
Haryana to Procure 250 MW of Solar Power Through SECI at ₹2.54/kWh
The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) has approved the petition to procure 250 MW of solar power from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The Haryana Power Purchase Center ...
Rajasthan Sets ₹3.14/kWh as Levelized Tariff for Solar Projects Under KUSUM Program
The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has set the pre-fixed levelized tariff for Component-A of the Pradhan Mantri-Kisan Urja Suraksha Evan Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) program at ₹3.14 (~$0.044)/kWh. The Commission ...
Supreme Court Asks Nitin Gadkari to Explain Government’s Position on Electric Mobility
The Supreme Court has requested the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to appear before it to discuss the proposal of the gradual transition of fossil-fuel-based vehicles on the roads to ...
