Solar power project tenders floated by multiple implementing agencies in India rose 5% year-over-year to over 13 GW during the third quarter of the calendar year 2023, according to Mercom India Research. Tender announcements were flat quarter-over-quarter from July to September. The pace of tender announcements has failed to accelerate even after the government issued the 50 GW renewable energy trajectory target for financial years 2024-28.

Madhya Pradesh Skills Development Project has invited bids for the implementation of approximately 3.6 MW of grid interactive rooftop solar systems. These projects will be implemented under the RESCO model, and the power generated will be sold to select institutions in Madhya Pradesh. The last date for the submission of bids is November 29, 2023. Bids will be opened on the next day.

Wind-solar hybrid projects are a practical solution to tackle the intermittency issues of standalone wind and solar energy sources and are poised to play a critical role as a generation source going forward. When combined, the two renewable energy sources maximize electricity generation, strengthen grid reliability, and optimize land utilization. According to Mercom India Research, India has an installed hybrid renewable energy capacity of 3.6 GW and a pipeline of about 31 GW, including battery storage projects.

Renewable energy solutions provider KPI Green Energy is acquiring a 99.9% equity stake in solar power developer KPark Sunbeat for a consideration of ₹1.26 billion (~$15.1 million). In a regulatory filing, KPI Green Energy said its board of directors had approved the acquisition of 9,900 equity shares of KPark Sunbeat, a related party transaction. KPI has been consolidating the solar projects of the KP Group into a single entity, KPI Green Energy. Upon completion of the transaction, KPark will become a group subsidiary.

Birla Carbon, a group company of the diversified Birla Group, has acquired Nanocyl, a multi-wall carbon nanotube manufacturer based in Sambreville, Belgium. The acquisition will help Birla Carbon, a manufacturer and supplier of carbon black, expand its presence in materials critical to lithium-ion battery performance. Birla Carbon provides sustainable carbon black solutions that enhance the performance of energy systems, among other products.

New residential solar installations in the U.S. had a median size of 7.2 kW in 2022, a significant jump from the 2.4 kW seen in 2000, thanks to cost reductions and improved module efficiencies,  according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This trend is heavily influenced by California, which contributes significantly to the data even if it has smaller residential system sizes. In most states, the median size of residential photovoltaic systems in 2022 exceeded 8 kW, with many states exceeding 9 kW.