PFCL Floats Empanelment Tender for Metering Infrastructure Service Providers

Solarium Green Energy Receives BSE Nod for Initial Public Offering

Power Transmission Company Kalpataru Projects Raises ₹10 Billion in QIP

Himachal Regulator Approves Tariff for 900 MW Hybrid Power Projects

Daily News Wrap-Up: HPERC Allows DISCOM To Procure 550 MW Solar Power

MES Invites Bids for Maintenance of 1.7 MW Solar Project

Exploring Solar Open Access Potential in Odisha and Haryana

Karnataka Floats EPC Tender for 1.2 MW Solar Project

Himachal Regulator Allows DISCOM to Procure 550 MW Solar Power from SECI

Agri-Solar Solutions Provider GK Energy Files Papers for ₹5.01 Billion IPO

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					</table>The solar market in the U.S. installed 32.4 GW capacity in 2023, a 51% increase from the previous year, according to the Solar Market Insight Report for 2023 by the Solar Energy Industries Association (<a href="https://www.seia.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEIA</a>).
2023 was the U.S. solar industry&#8217;s best year yet.
Solar energy also accounted for 53% of all new electricity-generating capacity added to the U.S. grid, which, for the first time, made up over half of the new generating capacity.
Residential Segment 
With an installation of 6.8 GW, the residential segment in the U.S. set an annual record for the fifth consecutive year, registering a 13% increase from 2022. Across the country, the residential segment installed 1,533 MW in the fourth quarter of 2023, a 13% YoY increase from 2022.
Installation backlogs from a robust sales year in 2022 propelled growth at the beginning of 2023, but high-interest rates throughout the rest of the year hindered sales and significantly impacted the installation volumes.
While the first nine months saw an uptick in California&#8217;s solar installations, the state experienced a 35% quarterly drop in capacity in Q4.
Q4 was the lowest quarter of capacity volume since Q2 2022. This was attributed to the installers&#8217; depleted backlogs of sales made under the Net Energy Metering (NEM) 2.0. They also experienced a more distinct seasonal dip in sales than in recent years.
While installers reported steady pricing and financing terms, the report found that delayed milestone payments and permitting and interconnection delays in some areas of the country strained their cash flow.
However, apart from California, the residential segment remained flat quarter-over-quarter. SEIA estimates a 40% reduction in California&#8217;s installed capacity in 2024, leading to a nationwide contraction of the residential solar market.
Despite this, solar prices <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-residential-solar-prices-drop-second-half-2023#:~:text=Solar%20prices%20fell%20for%20the,to%20a%20report%20by%20EnergySage." target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped</a> 35% to $2.80/W in the second half of 2023, as the residential solar market was affected by high inflation and changes to net metering policies.
Commercial Solar
The commercial solar segment broke an annual record that has stood since 2017, with 1,851 MW installed and showcasing a 19% growth since 2022. Fourth quarter volumes in California, which accounted for 35% of the national installed capacity, doubled from their typical range as the commercial sector started to see the same surge of installations caused by the switch to net billing.
The segment also grew 71% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) in the fourth quarter, mainly due to the surge of NEM 2.0 installations in California. Commercial solar growth has typically come from a few key markets, such as California, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts. However, both large and small markets contributed to the segment’s growth last year.
In 2023, the installation volumes in 19 states grew by over 50% YoY. The developers have found non-traditional states such as Georgia and Texas due to their low development costs, low building penetration, and vast tracts of land.
Due to a predicted drop in California’s installations, increased market penetration in certain mature markets, and prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements, SEIA estimates a dip in commercial installations in 2025.
Community solar 
Community solar installations increased by 3% in 2023, resulting in 1,148 MW of new capacity. For the third consecutive year, community solar additions broke 1 GW national annual capacity. The states of Maryland and New Jersey experienced strong growth as capacity additions increased by 169% and 608% compared to 2022, respectively.
Despite installation volumes in New York decreasing last year, the state amounted to 45% of total national installations. The installed capacity in Massachusetts saw a decline as developers continued to wait on siting, permitting, and interconnection reform.
For the long-term, Solar for All funding and the availability of the ITC adders will support lasting growth in this segment. As per SEIA&#8217;s estimates, the national community solar market will grow by 7% annually on average through 2028.
Utility-scale segment 
Following a downward turn in 2022, the utility-scale solar segment rebounded in 2023 with a total of 22.5 GW interconnected in 2023, registering a 77% YoY growth in installed capacity.
The acute growth in Q4 was attributed to module supply chain stabilization within the past year and the subsequent buildout of delayed projects. Despite this, high interest rates, tighter financing conditions, and interconnection uncertainty slowed contract negotiations, resulting in a 64% decrease in contracted capacity in 2023 compared to 2022.
In Q4 of 2023, only 693 MW of projects were contracted, reaching a record low that translated to the project pipeline slipping below the 90 GW threshold to 83 GW.
The utility-scale segment will add 148 GW of installed capacity between 2024 and 2028 and 383 GW over the next decade, according to estimates by <a href="https://www.woodmac.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wood Mackenzie</a>.
Solar Pricing
The pricing for solar photovoltaics went down across segments. It fell YoY by 2% and 6% for the residential and commercial systems, respectively. For the utility-scale segment, the prices went up by 9% for fixed-tilt and 11% for single-axis tracking. The decline of the former was due to the partial drop in module costs, which was partially offset by increases in customer acquisition costs.
The system cost decreased annually and quarterly for both the residential and solar segments due to a rapid decline in module prices for the distributed generation segments. As residential solar demand declined faster throughout 2023, the segment experienced an oversupply of modules.
This resulted in a YoY decrease of 43% and 34% in average module pricing for the residential and commercial segments, respectively. The average residential PV system price was down by 2%.
The U.S. <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-solar-module-imports-surge-to-50gw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> 42 GW of renewable energy capacity in 2023, with solar contributing the most.
In the third quarter of 2023, the U.S. <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-solar-power-capacity-soars-reflecting-35-yoy-rise">installed</a> 6.5 GWdc of solar capacity, a 35% YoY increase and a 1% rise from the previous quarter, according to a Wood Mackenzie and <a href="https://www.seia.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEIA report.</a>

2023 Best Year for US Solar Industry with 32.4 GW of Capacity Added

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					</table>The U.S. energy storage market installed 7,322 MWh in the third quarter (Q3) of 2023, the highest capacity in a quarter to date, according to the U.S. Energy Storage Monitor report by <a href="https://www.woodmac.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wood Mackenzie</a> and the American Clean Power Association (<a href="https://cleanpower.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACP</a>).
The cumulative capacity of energy storage installations in 2023 reached 13,518 MWh, surpassing the total volume in the whole of 2022, which stood at 11,976 MWh.
The report suggests that installations in Q3 could have been higher if not for the delay experienced by 80% of the projects that were in the pipeline.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-61285 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Picture1-3.png" alt="" width="449" height="201" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Picture1-3.png 449w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Picture1-3-300x134.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 449px) 100vw, 449px" />
“With another quarterly record, it’s clear that energy storage is increasingly a leading technology of choice for enhancing reliability and American energy security. As we continue to build a strong domestic supply chain, streamlined permitting and evolving market rules can further accelerate the deployment of storage resources,” said Frank Macchiarola., the chief policy officer at ACP.
Solar segments 
The country’s grid-scale segment saw installations surge by 27% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) to 6,848 MWh, registering a record-breaking third quarter for both megawatts (MW) and megawatt-hours (MWh) installed.
The residential solar segment bounced back from the low volume it recorded in Q2 at 166.7 MW to 381.4 MWh in Q3, a 29% QoQ increase.
The largest increase was recorded in California, which nearly doubled its installed capacity from the previous quarter to install 78.4 MW. A combined total of 88.32 MW was deployed across all states, compared to the 89.53 MW deployed in the previous quarter.
The deployment in the community, commercial, and industrial (CCI) storage segment fell by 7% QoQ, with installations finalizing at 30.3 MW and 92.9 MWh, respectively. The installations in California witnessed a 35% QoQ jump, offset by zero community storage deployments in Massachusetts during the quarter.
Forecast
According to a recent report by Wood Mackenzie, the U.S. storage market is forecasted to install approximately 63 GW between 2023 and 2027 across all segments, a 5% decline from the Q2 forecast.
The grid-scale segment is facing a volatile near-term pipeline, which has resulted in difficulty in bringing projects to mechanical completion. While the segment’s 2023 forecast increased just slightly due to strong Q3 volume, the remainder of the forecast lowered by 7% on average.
The residential segment is expected to double between 2023 and 2025, but growth slows later in the forecast period as solar penetration in California heightens. The 2023 CCI segment forecast declined 12% QoQ due to low installation volumes between Q1 and Q3 of 2023.
According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, solar plus storage hybrid projects <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/solar-plus-storage-leads-hybrid-power-project-market-in-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were</a> the most popular in the U.S. at the end of 2022, with 213 projects and 4 GW/12.5 GWh capacity. These projects have a storage-to-generator capacity ratio of 49% and a storage duration of 3.1 hours.
The U.S. <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/us-solar-power-capacity-soars-reflecting-35-yoy-rise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">installed</a> 6.5 GWdc of solar power project capacity in Q3 2023, a 35% year-over-year increase, according to a recent by Wood Mackenzie and Solar Energy Industries Association.

US Installs Record 7.3 GWh Energy Storage Capacity in Q3 2023

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					</table>Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world:
Suzlon <a href="https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachLive/39c3e8bb-4ed0-48f9-ab9a-c9cee48bf11b.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won</a> the order to supply to 48.3 MW wind power projects by Adani Green Energy. The turbine manufacturer will supply and install 23 units of wind turbine generators with a hybrid lattice tubular tower and a rated capacity of 2.1 MW each. The project is located in the Kutch district of Gujarat and is expected to be commissioned in 2023. A project of this size can provide electricity to 31,000 households and curb 124,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year. Suzlon has an existing order of 226.8 MW from Adani Green.
Alternus Energy Group <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221017005598/en/Alternus-Energy-Group-plc-Announces-Altnua-a-Dedicated-Clean-Energy-Development-Business-to-Drive-Organic-Growth-into-the-Future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">established</a> its clean energy development business, Altnua, which aims to become a specialist renewable asset developer in Europe and the U.S. Altnua will develop utility-scale projects from the ground up, working with landowners, local developers, and corporate offtakers to achieve their net zero goals. As part of Alternus, Altnua is expected to take a long-term approach to develop projects on a ‘develop to own’ basis across various technologies using innovative energy solutions. A central theme of Altnua’s growth strategy will be acquiring development businesses to scale their portfolios.
India hosted the fifth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (<a href="https://isolaralliance.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ISA</a>) in New Delhi. India and France were re-elected president and co-president of the ISA Assembly for two years. The assembly approved the Solar Facility, a payment guarantee mechanism to mitigate risks associated with solar projects in Africa. The solar facility is expected to stimulate high-potential solar technologies by attracting private capital to flow into underserved African markets while ensuring a payment and insurance mechanism as a first-loss guarantee. The ISA will soon operationalize Solar Facility to crowdsource investments from global donors and proposed projects in Africa. It also approved SolarX Grand Challenge to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in solar.
The New York Energy Research and Development Authority and National Grid <a href="https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About/Newsroom/2022-Announcements/2022-10-17-NYSERDA-and-National-Grid-Announce-Round-1-Results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the selection of 21 community solar projects totaling more than 120 MW to deliver the benefits of clean energy to underserved New Yorkers. The Expanded Solar For All program, approved by the State’s Public Service Commission in January, will serve nearly 175,000 income-eligible customers in National Grid’s upstate service areas. As part of the program’s first phase, National Grid anticipates providing up to $240 million in bill credits during the 25-year lifetime of the program. An anticipated second phase would double the total bill credits to up to $480 million.
TagEnergy and Balance Power <a href="https://www.balancepower.co.uk/news-insights/balance-power-and-tagenergy-announce-milestone-partnership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a framework agreement to build, own, and operate 500 MW of new energy storage in the UK. The partnership will see TagEnergy become the majority owner of the projects. An investment of over £300 million (~$340 million) will be required to deliver the projects over the next four years. The partnership will increase TagEnergy’s current portfolio of over 300 MW of ready-to-build or under-construction battery projects by an additional 500 MW at different stages of development.

Daily News Wrap-Up: Suzlon Bags Order for Adani Green’s 48.3 MW Wind Projects

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					</table>Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world:
Param Renewable Energy was declared the winner in <a href="https://www.ntpc.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NTPC</a>’s auction for comprehensive operation and maintenance (O&amp;M) of its 50 MW NTPC Rajgarh solar project in Madhya Pradesh for three years. The company emerged as the lowest bidder) by quoting a price of ₹99 million (~$1.25 million). Other bidders were Jakson Ventures, Vatsa Electric, and Kunamneni Technologies. The tender was <a href="https://mercomindia.com/ntpc-om-50-mw-solar-madhya-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floated</a> in May this year.
Cleantech Solar <a href="https://mercomindia.com/ntpc-om-50-mw-solar-madhya-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the commissioning of two solar power projects with capacities of 8.5 MW and 5.3 MW at its solar parks in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, respectively, for UNO MINDA Group. The power from these solar projects will be procured on a captive basis. The long-term solar partnership between Cleantech Solar and UNO MINDA is expected to generate approximately 495 GWh of clean energy during the lifetime of the projects, which amounts to a reduction of over 450 kilotons of CO2 emissions. The fully operational solar PV systems have been built by Cleantech Solar and will be operated and maintained by Cleantech Solar throughout the agreement term.
The Union Cabinet <a href="https://mercomindia.com/ntpc-om-50-mw-solar-madhya-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> the strategic partnership agreement signed between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/ntpc-om-50-mw-solar-madhya-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> in January this year. The agreement aims to drive ambition, leadership, and knowledge on green energy transitions based on renewable energy in India. The agreement includes cooperation in facilitating knowledge sharing from India on scaling-up renewable energy and clean energy technologies; supporting India’s long-term energy planning; collaborating to strengthen the innovation climate in India; moving towards cost-effective decarbonization through catalyzing the development and deployment of green hydrogen.
Voltalia, a renewable energy developer, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/ntpc-om-50-mw-solar-madhya-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the development of a new photovoltaic cluster Arinos, with a potential capacity of more than 1.5 GW in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Voltalia has already signed partnerships, notably with CTG Brasil. Following approvals, these partners will purchase a significant portion of the solar sites in the Arinos cluster once the development phase of each site is completed and thus shortly before construction begins. The development of large project clusters allows the pooling of infrastructure, connection networks, and maintenance.
CS Energy, Castillo Engineering, and Amp Energy <a href="https://mercomindia.com/ntpc-om-50-mw-solar-madhya-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that they have partnered to deliver a portfolio of 25.4 MW of community solar projects in upstate New York. All five projects ranging from 3.9 MW to 6.2 MW, will utilize bifacial modules mounted on fixed-tilt racking and are part of the local utility’s community solar program. Four projects are under construction, with the fifth project expected to commence this month. All five projects are expected to achieve commercial operation by Q4 2022.
Airbus <a href="https://mercomindia.com/ntpc-om-50-mw-solar-madhya-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a memorandum of understanding with Linde, a Germany-based chemicals company, to work on developing hydrogen infrastructure at airports worldwide.  The agreement follows a cooperation agreement signed in Singapore in February. It covers collaboration on global supply chains for hydrogen, from production to airport storage, including the integration of refueling into normal ground handling operations. Both companies will define and launch pilot projects at several airports from early 2023. In addition, Airbus and Linde will analyze the potential of Power-to-Liquid fuels &#8211; a type of Sustainable Aviation Fuel made from the synthetically produced liquid hydrocarbon through the conversion of renewable electricity.

Daily News Wrap-Up: Param Renewable Wins NTPC’s O&M Tender for a 50 MW Solar Project

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					</table>Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world:
Tata Power <a href="https://www.tatapower.com/media/PressReleaseDetails/1955/tata-power-installs-150-clean-energy-powered-ev-charging-stations-across-mumbai" target="_blank" rel="noopener">installed</a> 150 green energy-powered electric vehicles (EV) charging stations across residential societies, malls, commercial complexes, and petrol pumps in Mumbai. These chargers are powered by renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydropower. Tata Power has also collaborated with the National Real Estate Development Council to install up to 5,000 EV charging points across Maharashtra. The company has a strong network of more than 13,000 home chargers for private use and 200 electric bus charging points installed across India. The company has 2,200 public EV chargers in 350 cities.
GMR Power and Urban Infra, a power and infrastructure development company, <a href="https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachLive/f901feaa-192b-422b-b407-2e0c478d6e6f.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired</a> a 100% stake in GMR Green Energy from GMR Solar Energy, a subsidiary. The company acquired all the 50,000 equity shares of GMR Green Energy at face value of ₹10 (~$0.13) each for an aggregate cash consideration of ₹500,000 (~$6,386). Under this acquisition, GMR Green Energy would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company. GMR Green Energy was incorporated in 2022 to pursue opportunities in the green energy business and is yet to commence commercial operations.
JA Solar <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ja-solar-supplies-deepblue-3-0-for-rooftop-pv-system-of-asias-largest-passenger-railway-hub-301570971.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it had supplied its DeepBlue 3.0 modules for a 5.9 MW distributed solar photovoltaic project at Beijing Fengtai Railway Station. The station is known as the largest passenger railway hub in Asia. The rooftop system will provide green energy for lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, passenger lifts, and cold storage equipment in the station. It is expected to generate 7.2 million kWh of electricity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 5,200 tons annually.
The LEGO Group <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2022/june/the-lego-group-to-build-us-1-billion-carbon-neutral-run-factory-in-virginia-usa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> plans to invest more than $1 billion to build a new carbon-neutral factory in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The facility’s 100% day-to-day energy needs will be matched by renewable energy generated by an onsite solar park. The 1.7 million square foot (160,000 square meters) facility will employ more than 1,760 people. The site will also be designed to minimize energy consumption and the use of non-renewable resources. Construction will commence in fall 2022, with production projected to start in the second half of 2025. The new factory in Virginia would use state-of-the-art technology to mould, process, and pack LEGO products. The factory buildings and manufacturing processes will be designed to minimize energy use. The company aims to secure Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy &amp; Environmental Design) certification for the building once it’s completed.
US Solar <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220621005977/en/T-Mobile-US-Solar-Partner-on-14-Community-Solar-Gardens-in-Minnesota" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> T-Mobile’s ‘sunscription’ to 14 new 1 MW US Solar Community Solar Gardens to generate clean, renewable energy and provide energy cost savings to T-Mobile locations across seven Minnesota counties. Joining T-Mobile in these gardens will be a mix of residential, public entity, and commercial subscribers. The first three community solar gardens were energized in late 2021, while the other 11 are in various construction and development stages. A sunscription to a Community Solar Garden from US Solar allows companies and individuals to benefit from local solar without any upfront costs or equipment on their property. Community Solar helps increase access to solar energy even for businesses and homes not ideally situated for a rooftop solar installation.

Daily News Wrap-Up: Tata Power Installs 150 EV Charging Stations Across Mumbai

Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world:
State-owned <a href="https://www.thdc.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THDC India</a> has signed a Letter of Intent to build 10 GW solar power projects entailing an investment of ₹100 billion (~$1.33 billion) in Rajasthan. The Government of Rajasthan will allocate the land bank through Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited (RRECL). The renewable energy parks will be implemented through a special purpose vehicle in terms of a joint venture company with RRECL in the ratio of 74:26. The project will be commissioned between the third and fifth year in a phased manner. These mega ventures by THDC India and RRECL will boost the socio-economic development of the project areas and also bring in cheap solar electricity in the region. With the above intent of investment in the energy sector by THDC India, it is expected that around 10,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities will be created during the peak time of construction, which will boost the local economy.
The <a href="https://powermin.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ministry of Power</a> issued amendments to the guidelines for tariff-based competitive bidding process for procurement of round-the-clock power from grid-connected renewable energy power projects, complemented with power from any other source or storage. As per the amendment, bidders will be selected based on the least quoted weighted average levelized tariff. The bidder (L1 bidder) quoting the least weighted average levelized Tariff (L1 tariff) will be allocated the capacity of power they offer. Suppose the allocated capacity is less than the total capacity to be contracted. In that case, the capacity allocation will be based on bucket filling, i.e., capacity quoted by the L1 bidder at L1 rates will be allocated first. Then the capacity quoted by the next lowest bidder (L2 bidder) at the rates quoted by him (L2 rates) will be allocated until the tendered capacity is fully exhausted.
The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) <a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1796903" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directed</a> the industries located in the National Capital Region (NCR) of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (UP), and Rajasthan to switch to piped natural gas (PNG) or biomass fuel. The order was directed at companies that have still not shifted to PNG or other cleaner fuels despite the availability of natural gas infrastructure and supply. Industries located in the NCR of Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan, will have to completely switch over to PNG or biomass fuels by September 30, 2022. Non-switchover will result in the closure of industries using other fuels. Until the transition to fuels as above is affected, such industries will use only fuels approved by the respective state governments for industrial operations.
Telecommunication company T-Mobile <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nexamp-and-t-mobile-announce-community-solar-energy-partnership-301477654.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a long-term agreement with Nexamp to participate in a community solar program qWith subscriptions to ten separate Nexamp solar farms representing more than 50 MW of total project capacity across Maine, Massachusetts, and New York, T-Mobile will receive savings through the discounted credits applied to its electric bills. Local electric customers interested in clean energy can subscribe to these projects and receive discounts on their bills. NRG served as the RFP consultant for T-Mobile, which selected Nexamp for its community solar portfolio. Nexamp will be the long-term owner of the projects.
The UK Government will <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-hits-accelerator-on-low-cost-renewable-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">change</a> the frequency of its Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme to every year rather than every two years to accelerate the roll-out of renewables. The Government said the move would support renewable electricity producers and boost the UK&#8217;s renewable energy infrastructure. CfDs are the Government&#8217;s primary method of supporting renewable energy, driving down the cost of technologies and playing an essential role in leveraging £90 billion (~$122.12 billion) of private investment by 2030. The auction scheme has already proved successful at bringing down the per-unit price of offshore wind by around 65% since the first auctions were held &#8211; helping the UK become one of the world&#8217;s largest wind power generators. In the last allocation round, 12 new contracts were awarded, with the potential for nearly 6 GW of additional capacity.
<a href="https://kpigil.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KPI Global Infrastructure</a> bagged an order from Greenlab Diamonds LLP for executing solar power projects of 25 MWdc capacity under the captive power producer segment. Earlier, the company had bagged orders from Veekey Prints, Priyanshi Creations, and Navnidhi Dyeing and Printing Mills for executing solar power projects of 2.964 MWdc capacity under the captive power producer segment.

Daily News Wrap-Up: THDC India Signs LoI to Set Up 10 GW of Solar Projects in Rajasthan

The U.S. Department of Energy (<a href="https://www.energy.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DOE</a>) announced a new National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP) target to enable community solar systems to power the equivalent of five million households by 2025 and create $1 billion in energy bill savings.
Community solar is a form of energy generation where members subscribe to a portion of a solar array, usually located near their community. As the solar array produces energy, subscribers receive a portion of the revenue from the energy produced, typically as savings on their monthly electric bill. This will benefit low-income and disadvantaged communities whose energy burden is three times higher than high-income households.
According to DOE, there is enough community solar installed in the U.S. today to power 600,000 households. However,  many Americans still lack access to affordable solar electricity despite this unprecedented deployment. This could be attributed to a lack of affordable financing options and unsuitable roof conditions.
Achieving DOE’s new NSCP target would increase community solar by more than 700% by 2025.
The recently released <a href="https://mercomindia.com/solar-energy-could-account-for-40-of-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Solar Futures Study</a> from DOE and <a href="https://www.nrel.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Renewable Energy Laboratory</a> shows how solar can play a significant role in a decarbonized grid.
“Community solar is one of the most powerful tools we have to provide affordable solar energy to all American households, regardless of whether they own a home or have a roof suitable for solar panels,” said United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.
The NCSP is a DOE initiative led by the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-energy-technologies-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Solar Energy Technologies Office</a>, collaborating with the NREL and <a href="https://mercomindia.com/grasim-procure-power-renews-captive-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a>. The partnership includes a coalition of community solar stakeholders, such as state, local and tribal governments, solar developers, and community-based organizations. Partners leverage peer networks and technical assistance funding and resources to expand community solar access, focusing on those in underserved communities. As of September 2021, NCSP had over 650 members from over 440 partner organizations.
Recently, DOE announced that it <a href="https://mercomindia.com/us-aims-add-communities-solarapp-tool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had</a> achieved its summer goal of signing up at least 125 communities for the Solar Automated Permit Processing (SolarAPP+) tool.
According to the U.S. Solar Market Insight 2020 Year-in-Review report, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/us-solar-industry-installed-2020-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, the U.S. solar industry grew 43%. The U.S. installed a record 19.2 GW of capacity in 2020.

U.S. Department of Energy Aims to Increase Community Solar Installations by 700%

The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has proposed the use of aggregator model for installation of rooftop solar for a group of consumers under net-metering.
The UPERC has proposed, “The settlement between the individual consumers in the group and the third party (if involved) will be the responsibility of the group and third party and will be driven by the agreement between them.”
The aggregator model under a net-metering arrangement will allow the group or third-party owner to install rooftop solar captive power up to the total capacity of cumulative contracted load of the group of consumers connected with the same distribution transformer, up to 25 percent of the capacity of transformer.
The model is like the “community solar” program in the United States.
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