Corporate Funding for Solar Up 190% YoY With $22.8 Billion in 9M 2021
Global corporate funding in the sector, including venture capital (VC) funding, public market, and debt financing, stood at $22.8 billion in 112 deals in the first nine months (9M) of ...
Wind Installations in India Rise by 101% with 1.24 GW Added in 9M 2021
India installed 384 MW of wind capacity in the third quarter (Q3) of 2021, a 30% year-over-year (YoY) increase compared to 295 MW installed in the same period last year ...
Installing a Rooftop Solar System on Your Home in Karnataka? Here’s What You Need to Know
Residential rooftop solar installations have been growing in popularity due to the ease of installations and the savings they provide to homeowners. According to Mercom's latest report, India Rooftop Solar ...
If Coal Shortage Impacts Power Consumption, Can Solar Save the Day?
India is seeing a surge in power demand, with industrial and economic activity picking up pace in the past few months. But thermal power plants are in a crisis as ...
Solar Auctions Activity Increases in Q3 2021 While Tenders Slowed
Government agencies announced tenders for 5.8 GW of solar projects in the third quarter (Q3) of the calendar year (CY) 2021, a 31% decline compared to 8.5 GW in the previous ...
Rajasthan is Now the Top Solar State in India With 8.2 GW of Installed Capacity
Rajasthan is now the top state in solar installations overtaking Karnataka at the end of the third quarter of the calendar year (CY) 2021. At the end of September, the ...
Domestic Content Requirement – Helping or Hurting KUSUM Solar Pump Program?
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) program was announced by the government to provide financial and water security to farmers by mobilizing solar projects and solar-powered water ...
BESCOM’s Empanelment Process is Tedious, Expensive and Unnecessary
The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) has recently revised its guidelines to empanel inverter manufacturers for government solar programs in Karnataka. Inverter manufacturers feel that the empanelment process is ...
664% Year-Over-Year Growth in Open Access Solar Installations in Q2 2021
India’s solar open access installations totaled 209 MW in the second quarter (Q2) of 2021, a 664% year-over-year (YoY) increase compared to 27 MW in the same period last year, ...
Developers Worried Over Proposed GST Hike on Solar Components from 5% to 12%
The Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council's recommendation to raise GST on solar components from 5% to 12% has project developers worried about its impact on project costs. The GST ...
India Installs 521 MW of Rooftop Solar Capacity in Q2 2021, the Highest in a Quarter
India marked a 53% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) increase in rooftop solar installations in the second quarter (Q2) of 2021, the highest for any quarter, with 521 MW installations compared to 341 ...
Tariffs of Manufacturing-Linked Solar Projects Reduced to ₹2.54/kWh from ₹2.92/kWh
The tariff of ₹2.92 (~$0.04)/kWh discovered in the manufacturing-linked solar projects auction held in January last year has now been reduced to ₹2.54 (~$0.034)/kWh. Adani Green Energy (AGEL) and Azure ...
Multi-Year Tariffs Crucial for Visibility and Growth of Open Access Solar Market
The open access solar market is steadily growing in India, providing a viable alternative for developers who do not wish to participate in extremely competitive auctions for large-scale projects or ...
Solar Investments in India Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels, Up 119% in Q2 2021
The investments in the Indian solar sector increased by 119% quarter-over-quarter, with over $2 billion in the second quarter (Q2) of the calendar year (CY) 2021. However, in a year-over-year ...
Average Cost to Build Large-Scale Solar Rises by 12% Year-Over-Year
According to Mercom’s recently released Q2 2021 India Solar Market Update, the average cost of large-scale solar projects in the second quarter of 2021 (Q2 2021) was ₹38.6 million (~$529,036)/MW. The ...
Is the Tariff of ₹2.14/kWh Discovered in Neemuch 500 MW Solar Auction an Aberration?
There is a consensus among the stakeholders that the tariffs in the post safeguard duty era with the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) in effect will hover around ...
India’s Solar Capacity Additions Grew by 251% With 4.6 GW Added in 1H 2021
The second quarter (Q2) of the calendar year (CY) 2021 brought some good news for the solar sector, with India adding 2,488 MW of solar capacity, an increase of 19% ...
Guaranteed Offtake the Reason for Success of MSEDCL’s 500 MW Solar Tender
Stakeholders in the solar industry believe that tariffs in upcoming solar auctions are likely to settle around ₹2.50 (~$0.034)/kWh, given the spike in module and commodity prices. Developers are bracing ...
DISCOM Revamp Plan Could Expedite Payments and Strengthen Transmission Network
The Ministry of Power (MoP) issued detailed guidelines last month for the reform-based result-linked power distribution program over the next five years. The program aims to reduce the aggregate technical and commercial ...
Can Solar Developers Rely on Local Manufacturers for Module Supply Without Disruptions?
The government's focus lately has shifted strongly towards establishing a domestic solar manufacturing base. The government has levied safeguard duty, Basic Customs Duty (BCD), introduced the approved list of module ...
Wind Installations Up 76% Year-over-Year With 239 MW of New Capacity Added
Wind installations in India in the second quarter (Q2) of 2021 were down by 62% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ), with 239 MW added in Q2 2021, compared to 623 MW added in ...
Indian Solar Imports and Exports in 1H Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels
Imports of solar cells and modules surged by a staggering 1,000% in the second quarter (Q2) of the calendar year (CY) 2021, totaling $762 million (~₹56.6 billion) as compared to ...
Solar Mounting Structures and Projects Impacted by Steel Prices and Iron Ore Shortages
Manufacturers of mounting structures for solar modules have been facing a severe shortage in a critical raw material – steel. The price volatility of this essential metal and the disruption ...
Solar Developers Finding it Difficult to Bid Below ₹2.50/kWh as ALMM Takes Effect
Solar developers are finding it challenging to execute solar projects with a tariff lower than ₹2.50 (~$0.034)/kWh with the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) restrictions. According to the ...
Struggling Solar MSMEs Want a Technology Upgradation Fund for Manufacturing
While the government has come up with several protectionist policies to give impetus to the manufacturing sector in the solar space, the deck is stacked against the smaller players who ...
