The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission issued amendments to the Green Energy Open Access Regulations which were released in 2023. The amendments were finalized after a recent public hearing. One key amendment introduced is regarding the eligibility criteria for open access. Initially, only consumers with contracted 100 kW or more capacity were eligible. The Commission has now clarified that consumers with contracted demand of 100 kW and above, either through a single connection or multiple connections aggregating to 100 kW or more located in the same electricity operation division of a distribution licensee, will be eligible for Green Energy Open Access.

India has seen a spurt in solar installations in recent years. The introduction of PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana in 2024 has boosted rooftop solar installations in the residential sector. However, the absence of standards for module mounting structures in India has emerged as a significant challenge. Harshal Akhouri, co-founder and CEO of Strolar, a manufacturer of solar trackers and mounting structures, shares his thoughts about issues relating to the Balance of Systems (BoS) used in solar projects.

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) floated a tender for the engineering, procurement and construction of a 2.01 MW solar project to be implemented across 35 locations in ONGC Uran thermal project in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. The last date to submit bids is March 18, 2025. Bids will be opened on March 19. The project must be completed within 240 days.

SJVN invited bids to install 1.604 MW grid-connected rooftop solar systems on government buildings in Arunachal Pradesh under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. Bids must be submitted by March 21, 2025. Bids will be opened on the same day. The scope of work includes the design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, and comprehensive operation and maintenance of the rooftop solar systems.

NTPC Renewable Energy invited bids for a BoS package for interstate transmission-connected 900 MW wind energy project at Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. The last day to submit the bids is April 3, 2025. Bids open on the same day. The bidders’ scope of work includes the design, engineering, micro-siting, manufacturing, supply, erection, testing, commissioning, and demonstrating the guaranteed performance parameters for installing the wind project.

Vidyut, an electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem platform, raised $2.5 million in funding from global investor Flourish Ventures. The company will utilize the acquired funds to expand its Battery-as-a-Service offering in passenger and commercial EV segments. By unbundling batteries from EVs and offering them on a pay-per-km subscription basis, Vidyut claimed it had reduced upfront electric three-wheeler costs by 35-40%.

Adani Green Energy completed a long-term refinancing of $1.06 billion (~₹92.56 billion) for developing wind-solar projects in Rajasthan. The company’s maiden construction facility entails a door-to-door tenor of 19 years with a fully amortized debt structure aligned with the cash flow lifecycle. The refinancing aims to provide benefits through deep access to diverse pools of capital to secure large sums for a long duration.

Speciality chemicals manufacturer Chemplast Sanmar and its subsidiary Chemplast Cuddalore Vinyls will procure power from JSW Green Energy Nine’s 84.9 MW wind-solar captive power project in Tamil Nadu under a power purchase agreement. Chemplast and its subsidiary will acquire a 26.27% stake in JSW Neo Energy for ₹304.3 million (~$3.4 million) in two tranches.

Chinese solar module manufacturer LONGi filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Jinko Solar and its subsidiaries in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The lawsuit alleges that Jinko Solar’s tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and multiple other photovoltaic module products infringe LONGi’s U.S. patents.

U.S.-based solar energy, battery, and storage services provider Sunrun reported a revenue of $518.49 million in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, a mostly flat growth compared to $516.59 million in the corresponding quarter last year. The revenue also fell short of analysts’ expectations by $22.56 million. The company’s 21% year-over-year (YoY) increase in customer agreements revenue was offset by a 33% YoY decline in solar energy systems and product sales.

Fuel cell and electrolyzer manufacturer Bloom Energy reported revenue of $572.4 million for Q4 2024, a 60% YoY increase from $356.9 million. The revenue exceeded analysts’ expectations by $64.85 million. The company’s earnings per share came in at $0.43, beating analysts’ expectations by $0.12. Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization was $147.32 million, a 270% YoY increase from $39.76 million.

U.S.-based solar module manufacturer First Solar filed a lawsuit against Shanghai-headquartered JinkoSolar, alleging patent infringement of its TOPCon modules. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. First Solar alleged infringement of its U.S. patent number 074, which covers methods of manufacturing TOPCon crystalline silicon solar cells.

Shoals Technologies Group, a manufacturer of electrical balance of systems for solar, energy storage, and e-mobility reported a net income of $7.8 million during Q4 2024, down from $16.6 million in the corresponding period in 2023. Revenue experienced an 18% YoY decrease, from $130.4 million to $107 million. The decrease in the net income and revenue was primarily due to a rapidly shifting political environment, challenges in labor and equipment availability, and regulatory and permit delays during the quarter.

After six consecutive years of growth, China’s solar installations are expected to drop by up to 22% in 2025 with the introduction of market-based pricing reforms. According to the China Photovoltaic Industry Association, solar installations will likely decline in 2025 to between 215 GW and 255 GW or 8.13% and 22.54% from 277 GW in 2024. China installed 277.17 GW of solar capacity in 2024, up 27.79% from 2023.