Solar Projects are Helping Generate Income, Create Jobs and New Skills in Rural Areas
The development of large solar power projects in rural areas usually gets a bad rap as it is associated with issues like land grabbing, deforestation, and disruption of the rural ...
To Promote Energy Efficiency, BEE Sets New Standards for Air Conditioners
The central government and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) have set new energy performance standards for room air conditioners and have mandated that the default temperature must be set ...
NITI Aayog Reports on States’ Progress Towards Sustainable Development Goals
The National Institute of Transforming India (NITI) Aayog’s sustainable development goals (SDG) index showed that Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana held the top spots in terms ...
Over 361 Million LED Bulbs Distributed Under UJALA Program
Over 361.3 million LED bulbs have been distributed across India, and 10.3 million smart LED streetlights have been installed under the UJALA and LED Street Lighting National Program at an ...
MNRE Directs Wind Developers to Comply with Ministry of Defense’s Directions
In a letter to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and wind project developers, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has directed the wind power developers in the vicinity of ...
Corporate Funding in 2019 Jumps 20% Reaching $12 Billion in the Solar Sector Globally
Total corporate funding in the solar sector increased by 20% in 2019, reaching $11.7 billion in 117 deals, up from $9.7 billion in 139 deals in 2018, according to Mercom ...
Suzlon’s Outstanding Debt Reaches ₹127.85 Billion
Renewable energy company Suzlon Energy Limited has disclosed an outstanding debt of ₹127.85 billion (~$1.8 billion), according to the company’s Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) filing. The company has filed the ...
Uttar Pradesh Approves a Tariff of ₹4.78/kWh to Procure Bagasse-based Power
The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has approved the amended power purchase agreement (PPA) for bagasse-based power signed between DSCL Sugar, Hariawan, and the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited ...
TMEIC and Sungrow Led the Solar Inverter Supplier Leaderboard in 1H 2019
In the first half of 2019 (1H 2019), TMEIC emerged as the top supplier of solar inverters to the Indian market with a market share of approximately 20% while Sungrow ...
India Bans Import of Harmful Hydrochlorofluorocarbon that Depletes the Ozone Layer
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) has issued a notification that mentions that the issuance of the license for the import of hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-141b will ...
Uttar Pradesh DISCOM Asked to Deposit Over ₹7 Billion In RPO Regulatory Fund
The Uttar Pradesh Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has directed the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) to create a separate renewable purchase obligation (RPO) Regulatory Fund. The commission has directed UPPCL ...
After a Slow November, Solar Tender and Auction Activity Picked Up in December 2019
The month of December 2019 saw a significant rise in the solar tender activity compared to the subdued activity in November 2019. The last month of 2019 also saw one ...
MNRE Plans To Bundle Thermal with Solar and Wind for Round-the-Clock Power Supply
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has come up with a draft plan to supply round-the-clock (RTC) power from renewable (solar, wind, and hydro) projects, which will be ...
Month in a Minute: Top Headlines from India’s Renewable Sector in December 2019
The year 2019 wrapped up with a host of newsworthy developments recorded in the renewable energy industry. There were several important company announcements besides crucial government updates during the last ...
Prime Minister’s Office Proposes Waiving Carbon Tax on Coal
According to a communique reviewed by Mercom, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office has proposed waiving the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Compensation Cess, (earlier called the Clean Energy ...
Maharashtra Tenders 100 MW of Bagasse-Based Power with a Tariff Cap of ₹3.56/kW
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has issued a tender for the procurement of 100 MW of power generated from bagasse-based co-generation projects. Interested bidders are expected to ...
Indian Solar Industry Optimistic Going Into 2020
After a somewhat disappointing year, the domestic solar industry’s hopes are pinned on 2020. Towards the end of 2019, Mercom revised its estimates for the calendar year (CY) 2019 down ...
SECI Invites EoI to Purchase Power for Blending with Renewable Sources
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has invited an expression of interest (EoI) from power generators involved in hydro, pumped storage, gas, battery storage, and thermal generating stations to ...
GERC to Revise Tariff for Surplus Energy Purchased from Captive Wind Projects
The Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) has partly approved a petition filed by Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) to establish tariffs to procure surplus power by the distribution licensees ...
ADB to Roll Out $1 Billion for Clean Energy Investments in the Pacific Region
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is planning to roll out nearly $1 billion of energy investments across the region during the 2019-2021 period. As the energy demand in the Asia ...
India Has Set Up 186 Waste-to-Energy Projects So Far
To recover energy from waste and effluent generated from industries, India has set up 186 waste-to-energy projects for generation of biogas, bioCNG power with a cumulative capacity of 317.03 MW ...
Chhattisgarh Commission Lays Out Tariff Terms for Renewable Projects in the State
The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) has specified the terms and conditions of tariffs for renewable energy sources for the sale of power to distribution licensees. The renewable projects ...
Solar Project Developers Still Waiting for Safeguard Duty Reimbursement
To protect domestic cell and module manufacturers, a 25% safeguard duty was announced on solar cell and module imports from China and Malaysia for the period between July 30, 2018, ...
Bank of America Lends ₹3.56 Billion to Distributed Solar Company Fourth Partner Energy
The Bank of America (BofA) has announced its plans to lend ₹3.56 billion (~$50 million) to Fourth Partner Energy, a distributed solar energy management company. The amount is a local currency revolving ...
35 GW of Solar Installed, 65 GW More to go for India to Reach its 100 GW Solar Target
Total solar installations in India have crossed the 35 GW mark, according to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker. The country has a goal of reaching 100 GW of solar capacity ...
