Tata Power Solar, Amplus Solar, Roofsol Energy, Fourth Partner Energy, and Hartek Solar were the top rooftop solar companies in India during the calendar year 2022, according to Mercom’s recently released India Solar Market Leaderboard 2023. The report offers information on the competitive landscape and market share of top companies within the solar supply chain in India. The top three companies accounted for 36% of the market share in 2022.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has emphasized the significance of the states taking the lead in expanding renewable energy capacity, which has touched 172 GW. At a review meeting chaired by Bhagwanth Khuba, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, with the states and union territories, MNRE Secretary B S Bhalla said states must provide infrastructure like land and water and ensure law and order for the safety of the projects and their personnel.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India has disbursed ₹9.4 billion (~$114.2 million) to wind and solar energy generators for the electricity procured in March 2023. Payments to power generators saw a 6% rise in March from the preceding month. On a year-over-year basis, the payments surged 71%. The disbursements accounted for approximately 61.1% of the ₹15.4 billion (~$186.8 million) allocated for the month.

The European Union has proposed that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) should in the future apply to indirect emissions of greenhouse gases arising from the generation of electricity used to produce the goods to which the regulation applies. The CBAM, which will come into effect in its transitional phase on October 1, 2023, will only apply to direct emissions of greenhouse gases from the time of production of goods until the import of those goods into the EU.

Siemens, a German-based multinational conglomerate that is also involved in the transmission and generation of power, has signed an agreement to acquire the electric vehicle (EV) division of Mumbai-based Mass-Tech Controls at an estimated cost of ₹380 million (~$5 million). Mass-Tech designs, engineers, and manufactures a wide range of AC chargers and 30-300 kW DC chargers for various applications in EVs. Through the acquisition, Siemens aims to expand its market presence in India and enable the creation of an export hub.

New Delhi-based electricity distribution services company BSES Rajdhani Power has partnered with energy storage and software company Sheru to develop a vehicle-to-grid station with a bidirectional battery swapping station to support BRPL’s peak power demand. The station will also provide swappable batteries for electric 2-and-3-wheelers and rickshaws. The partnership also aims to help ease the pressure on power demand while strengthening the power grid.

Independent power producer JSW Energy’s revenue for the fourth quarter of the financial year 2023 increased by 6% year-over-year (YoY) to ₹28.06 billion (~$339.13 million) on the back of the increase in renewable capacity. The net generation grew by 16% YoY to 5,067 million units (MU) due to strong merchant volumes, incremental generation from the 225 MW Vijayanagar solar project, and Tranche X of Solar Energy Corporation of India’s 27 MW wind project in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin. The company’s profit after tax for the period dropped 27% YoY to ₹2.72 billion (~$32.87 million).

Unlike the cell-wafer-module process of polysilicon-based solar modules, First Solar’s thin film solar module technology allows it to easily identify local vendors for manufacturing processes, Sujoy Ghosh, Vice President & Country Managing Director India at First Solar, said in an interview on the sidelines of Mercom India renewables Summit. Ghosh added that First Solar has a distinct advantage in achieving localization, one of the key aspects of the PLI program for which the company qualified earlier this year.

While direct and indirect tax incentives have propelled the growth of electric vehicles in India, the government can augment electricity infrastructure to ensure the setup of charging stations smoothly, Awadhesh Kumar Jha, Executive Director at Fortum-Charge and Drive India, said on the sidelines of Mercom India Renewables Summit 2023. He added that waiving off fixed charges for power connections could play a pivotal role in the proliferation of charging stations.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata have developed an innovative method that utilizes organic nanotubes to harness artificial light, offering a wide range of applications in solar cells, photocatalysis, optical sensors, and tunable multi-color light-emitting materials. The concept behind this advancement lies in the intricate energy transfer process observed in plants and photosynthetic bacteria.

The Australian Energy Market Operator has invited bids to procure 2,500 GWh per annum (950 MW) of renewable generation capacity and 550 MW of long-duration storage under the New South Wales Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap’s third tender round. The last date to submit the bids is June 25, 2023. Bidders seeking to participate in the tender round must enter into a deed to govern the terms of engagement during the tendering process.

Solar module manufacturer Holosolis plans to establish a photovoltaic module gigafactory in France, with an annual capacity of 5 GW. The gigafactory is set to commence production in 2025, enabling the production of 10 million photovoltaic modules which can meet the energy needs of one million European homes. Full operations of the plant are scheduled to begin in 2027.

Jinko Solar’s majority-owned subsidiary, Jiangxi Jinko Solar, has proposed plans for production lines with an annual capacity of 56 GW to manufacture monocrystalline silicon pull rods, silicon wafers, high-efficiency solar cells, and modules. The cell and module manufacturer has entered into an investment framework agreement with the Transformation Comprehensive Reform Demonstration Zone of Shanxi Province in China. To facilitate a smooth and phased implementation, the project will be executed in four phases, each with an annual production capacity of 14 GW.