India installed 1.7 GW of rooftop solar capacity in 2023, the second-highest annual installation numbers on record, according to Mercom India Research’s newly unveiled 2023 Q4 & Annual Mercom India Rooftop Solar Market Report. However, the capacity addition rose only by 3.7% as many commercial and industrial consumers held off on new projects while waiting for solar module prices to stabilize. Lower module prices forecasted in early 2024 are expected to help companies reduce project costs.

The Ministry of Mines has issued the second tranche of the auction for the grant of concessions for 18 critical and strategic mineral blocks across seven states, with 17 designated for the grant of composite license and one for the mining lease. The Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Pralhad Joshi , highlighted the diverse array of minerals up for auction in the second tranche, including Tungsten, Vanadium, Graphite, Rare Earth elements, Glauconite, Phosphorite, Nickel, Platinum group of minerals, Cobalt, and Potash.

Adani Electricity Mumbai has floated a tender to select project developers for the supply of 600 MW of power from grid-connected wind power projects in India. The selected developers are required to establish wind power projects on a build own operate basis. Land, connectivity, and long-term access will be in the scope of the project developer. The last date for the submission of the bid is April 2, 2024. Bids will be opened on April 5.

Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society has invited bids to set up 50 MW grid-connected rooftop solar power projects on various houses in the Union Territory under the renewable energy service company model. The projects must be installed on a build-operate-transfer basis and within five months of receiving the work order. The last date to submit the bids is March 13, 2024. Bids will be opened the following day.

The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved Tata Power Company – Distribution’s adoption of tariffs of ₹3.27 (~$0.0394)/kWh and ₹3.28 (~$0.0395)/kWh discovered through competitive bidding for the procurement of 225 MW of wind-solar hybrid power along with 150 MW additional capacity under the ‘greenshoe’ option to meet its renewable purchase obligations.

Polysilicon imports into China dropped 28.5% in 2023 to 62,965 metric tons, the lowest level since 2011, according to Germany-based polysilicon market research firm Bernreuter. Polysilicon is a key material for making solar cells and semiconductors. The report also says that major foreign suppliers are shifting shipments from China to Vietnam after U.S. regulations aimed at preventing imports of goods linked to forced labor in Xinjiang came into force.

Physicists at the University of Paderborn in Germany, through complex virtual simulations, have discovered that adding a thin layer of an organic semiconductor called tetracene to a silicon solar cell can achieve significantly higher efficiency. Tetracene absorbs short-wave high-energy radiation, a part of which is wasted away as heat, and converts it into lower-energy forms that can be efficiently used by the silicon in the solar cell.

Shoals Technologies Group, a manufacturer of electrical balance of systems for solar, energy storage, and eMobility reported a net income of $16.6 million during the fourth quarter of 2023, contrasting with the $118.3 million reported in the corresponding period in 2022. The company stated that the previous year’s timeframe experienced a positive impact, deriving a gain of $110.9 million from concluding the tax receivable agreement.

The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency has invited bids for a 5 MW grid-connected solar photovoltaic power project in Mau district on a build-own-operate and maintain basis. The last date for online bid submission is March 21, 2024. The bids will be opened the next day. The scope of work includes complete design, engineering, procurement, construction, installation, testing, commissioning, evacuation of power to the grid substation, and operation and management of the project.