Rewa Ultra Mega Solar has issued a tender to procure 400 MW firm and dispatchable grid-connected renewable power. To meet the supply obligations, selected bidders must commission eight projects of 50 MW, each totaling 400 MW. Developers with untied renewable projects and ESS that are commissioned or under construction can also participate in the auction. The last day to submit the bids is April 1, 2024. Bids will be opened the next day.

To accelerate the large-scale adoption of grid-connected rooftop solar, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has issued orders to simplify the implementation and application process. The Ministry has stated that at the technical feasibility approval stage, the consumers will only be required to furnish any electricity bill from the last six months. At the project commissioning and net-metering stage, they will be asked to provide a project completion report, a photograph of the rooftop solar project, and a consumer-vendor agreement.

Public infrastructure finance company REC Limited has issued its inaugural yen-denominated green bonds of ¥61.1 billion (~$420.9 million) to finance renewable energy projects. Issued under its $10 billion Global Medium Term Notes Program, the proceeds from the bonds will be used to finance eligible renewable energy projects under its green finance framework and the guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India. The green bonds with 5-year, 5.25-year, and 10-year tenures are issued at yields of 1.76%, 1.79%, and 2.20%, respectively.

REC Solar Holdings, a 100% step-down subsidiary of Reliance Industries, has entered into a share purchase agreement with Norway-based Elkem to sell a 100% equity stake in REC Solar Norway for an aggregate cash consideration of ₹22 million. REC Norway is in the business of manufacturing kerf-based polysilicon in Norway. Elkem is a silicon-based material provider listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. This transaction will give Elkem control of industrial areas and facilities in Norway, including areas next to Elkem’s activities at Fiskaa in Kristiansand.

Assam Power Distribution Company has invited expressions of interest (EoI) from contractors to set up a solar project with a grid-scale battery energy storage system to completely solarize the secretariat complex in Dispur, Assam. The solar power project will be implemented either in engineering procurement and construction contractor or build-own-operate mode based on the outcome and suggestions of the EoI. The last day to submit the bids is January 30, 2024. Bids will be opened the next day.

NHPC has invited EOI from India-based and global companies to empanel for developing offshore wind power projects in India. The empanelment period will be five years. The last date to submit the bids is February 17, 2023. Bids will be opened on February 20. Bidders must pay ₹10,000 (~$120) towards the document cost. Through the EoI, NHPC plans to collaborate with companies that have extensive knowledge and experience in offshore wind power project development across the globe.

Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust has invited bids from engineering, procurement, and construction contractors for the installation of a 1 MW rooftop solar system in Maharashtra on a lumpsum turnkey basis. The work must be completed by March 15, 2024. Selected bidders must also oversee the project’s operation and maintenance for five years. The last day to submit the bids is January 27, 2024. Bids will be opened on January 29. Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹400,000 (~$4,826).

Renewable electricity capacity additions soared globally in 2023, reaching an estimated 507 GW. This marked a nearly 50% increase from the previous year, driven by sustained policy support across over 130 countries. The findings are part of the International Energy Agency’s report on renewables 2023 analysis and forecast for 2028. The global acceleration in 2023 was primarily fueled by the year-on-year expansion of the booming solar market in China, which grew 116%, and the wind market, which saw a 66% growth.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that solar power will emerge as the primary driver of electricity generation growth in 2024 and 2025, with the addition of 36 GW and 43 GW of new solar capacity, respectively. The increase in capacity will elevate the solar share in total generation to 6% in 2024 and 7% in 2025, marking a rise from 4% in 2023. EIA predicts that if developers implement all the planned energy storage systems by the scheduled commercial operation dates, the capacity could surge by 89% by the end of 2024.

Perovskite nanosheets can be a new laser medium, where light amplification can be achieved based on tiny perovskite nanosheets that are synthesized chemically, researchers from the Pusan National University in Korea have found. Perovskite nanosheets are two-dimensional structures arranged in a sheet-like configuration on the nanoscale, making them a valuable component across various applications such as solar technologies. While the light amplification in perovskite quantum dots has been reported in previous research, they have failed to provide an adequate quantitative analysis.