Telangana Invites Bids for DPR of 56 MW Solar Projects

Solarium Green Bags 7 MW Rooftop Solar Contract from NVVN

Classic Signages Wins NVVN’s 6.3 MW Solar Project Auction

Alpex Solar Posts 423% YoY Profit Increase in Q3, Expands Module Capacity  

ReNew’s Q3 FY 2025 Revenue Up Slightly, Lower Wind PLF Bites

Daily News Wrap-Up: Government Amends Renewable Project Bidding Guidelines

CERC Adopts Tariffs for SECI’s 1.2 GW Wind-Solar Hybrid Power Projects

Vikram Solar Boosts Module Production with 1 GW Expansion in West Bengal

Madhya Pradesh Floats Tenders for 2.21 MW Rooftop Solar Projects

Record 1.7 GW Community Solar Added in the U.S. in 2024; Long-Term Growth Uncertain

<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/amazon_polly_76405.mp3?version=1739943037">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table>The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://www.erckerala.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KSERC</a>) has estimated an investment of ₹522.38 billion (~$6.01 billion) would be required by 2030 to upgrade energy infrastructure and integrate renewable energy sources effectively in the state.
In a discussion paper, KSERC made recommendations to help the state transition to 100% renewable energy by 2040 and net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The state currently <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/kerala-rooftop-solar-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leads</a> in rooftop solar installations with a capacity of 946.9 MW, comprising 72% of its total solar capacity.
&nbsp;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-76407 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/KSERC-article-image.jpg" alt="KSERC article image" width="752" height="488" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/KSERC-article-image.jpg 752w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/KSERC-article-image-300x195.jpg 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/KSERC-article-image-650x422.jpg 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/KSERC-article-image-624x405.jpg 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/KSERC-article-image-600x389.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" />
&nbsp;
Kerala’s energy sector faces intermittency challenges from renewable energy sources, particularly solar, which fails to meet peak demand.
To meet its ambitious renewable energy goals, Kerala has set higher Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets than the national mandate but faces monitoring, compliance, and transparency challenges.
Enhanced RPO compliance mechanisms, clearer reporting, and penalties or incentives to meet targets are required to meet the RPO targets. Kerala faces significant challenges in meeting its 50% RPO target by 2029-30, requiring an additional 10,000 MU of renewable energy, primarily from hydro, solar and wind supported by energy storage systems.
The higher capital costs of new hydro projects and the very limited reservoir storage capacity are major concerns which need to be addressed.
BESS and Pumped Storage
The state requires robust energy systems to manage diurnal and seasonal demand variations. The integration of cost-effective solutions such as battery energy storage systems (BESS) and pumped storage projects has been proposed to stabilize the grid.
KSERC’s proposed framework emphasizes renewable purchase obligations, net metering, and differentiated tariffs to promote renewable energy integration.
The discussion paper proposed implementing battery energy storage systems (BESS) at substations to manage grid instability caused by high rooftop solar penetration.
It emphasized developing pumped storage projects and optimizing hydropower through increased pondage capacity of run-of-river hydro projects to ensure a minimum of 48 to 72 hours of storage.
The Commission recommended designing new small hydro projects as open loop pumped hydro projects to maximize efficiency.
Wind Potential
The Kerala regulator’s discussion paper highlighted the wind energy potential in Kanjikode, Attapady, and Ramakkalmedu for large-scale deployment to complement solar energy generation. he Commission also emphasized the importance of real-time data monitoring, extending these requirements to solar projects of over 100 kW capacity and providing government incentives for energy storage investments.
It also recommended formalizing the existing ₹0.77 (~$0.00886)/kWh green tariff in the upcoming regulations to encourage consumers to adopt renewable energy from distribution licensees.
Among other recommendations, the discussion paper calls for exploring using swamp land for floating solar farms and proposing a capacity of 500 MW/1,000 MWh of BESS across all districts.
It also said that guidelines should be issued for converting internal combustion engine vehicles to electric.
Recently, KSERC <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/kerala-regulator-approves-ksebs-power-banking-agreements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> multiple energy banking agreements entered into by the Kerala State Electricity Board to manage surplus power efficiently.
Earlier this year, Kerala <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/kerala-rooftop-solar-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emerged</a> as a leader in residential rooftop solar installations. The state has achieved a 60.13% application-to-installation conversion rate, reflecting high implementation efficiency.

Kerala Needs ₹522 Billion by 2030 for Renewable Energy Integration

E-commerce giant <a href="https://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amazon</a> has announced its plan to develop five new renewable energy projects in China, Australia, and the U.S.
This latest initiative is a part of Amazon’s commitment to achieving 80% of its power requirements by renewable energy by 2024 and net-zero carbon target by 2040.
Amazon has <a href="https://mercomindia.com/amazon-shipments-net-zero-carbon-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> that it was planning to make 50% of all of its shipments with net-zero carbon by 2030. The company plans on achieving this goal by leveraging renewable energy, biofuels, and reusable packaging. The company calls this initiative “Shipment Zero.”
Amazon is planning to develop a 100 MW solar energy project in the Shandong province of China. Once complete, the project will produce 128,000 MWh of solar power annually.
The second on the list is a 105 MW solar project in New South Wales in Australia, which is expected to generate 250,000 MWh of clean energy once complete. The energy generated will be sufficient to power 40,000 average homes in Australia.
The company is also planning to develop two projects of 200 MW and 80 MW in Ohio, and another 130 MW project in Virginia in the United States. The three projects together will generate power enough to cover 69,000 homes in the U.S.
Speaking on this latest development, Kara Hurst, vice president of sustainability at Amazon, said, “As a signatory to ‘The Climate Pledge,’ we’re committed to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement 10 years early and reaching net-zero carbon across Amazon by 2040. These five new renewable energy projects are a critical part of our roadmap to reach this goal. We believe it is possible to reach 100% renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of the goals we announced last fall. While this will be challenging, we have a credible plan to get there.”
The projects with a total capacity of 615 MW, once complete, will provide 1.2 MWh of renewable energy to the company’s fulfillment network and Amazon Web Service data centers.
Currently, Amazon has announced 31 utility-scale solar and wind projects and 60 rooftop solar projects on fulfillment centers and sort centers across the globe. Together, these projects will generate nearly 2.9 GW of renewable power.
In January this year, Amazon India <a href="https://mercomindia.com/amazon-add-10000-electric-vehicles-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> that its fleet of delivery vehicles in the country would include 10,000 electric vehicles by 2025. The fleet will include three-wheeler and four-wheeler electric vehicles which have been designed and manufactured in India. In 2020, these vehicles will operate in over 20 cities, including Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nagpur, and Coimbatore, to name a few, and this number will continue to grow.
In June 2018, Mercom had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/amazon-india-rooftop-solar-seven-facilities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> that Amazon India was planning to set up 8,000 kW of rooftop solar installations at its fulfillment centers and sorting facilities across the country. The company has also installed solar energy systems in four Amazon Care Community and Resource Centres in Haryana to provide solar power and support its community programs.

Amazon to Develop 615 MW of Solar Projects

The Railway Energy Management Company Limited (<a href="http://remcl.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">REMCL</a>), a joint venture formed between the Indian Railways and RITES Limited, has invited bids to set up 140 MW of interstate transmission system (ISTS)/intrastate transmission system (InSTS)-connected wind-solar hybrid projects.
The wind-solar hybrid projects will be set up under the nodal zonal railways of Gujarat (western railways), Karnataka (southwestern railways), and Madhya Pradesh (western central railways).
The bid submission deadline is July 23, 2019. The REMCL has set ₹2.70 (~$0.039)/kWh as the upper ceiling tariff for this tender. The projects can be developed anywhere across India, and the zonal railways will enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the successful bidders.
Of the total capacity tendered, 55 MW hybrid capacity will be set up in the state of Gujarat. Of this capacity, 14 MW will be solar while 41 MW will be wind energy projects. In Karnataka, 15 MW of hybrid capacity will be developed comprising 3 MW solar and 12 MW wind energy projects.
In Madhya Pradesh, 70 MW of wind-solar hybrid capacity will be set up comprising 18 MW of solar capacity and 52 MW of wind projects.
According to REMCL, a single bidder must bid for the entire capacity for any of the three zones. Moreover, if an interested bidder wants, they can bid for the entire capacity tendered.
The developers will set up wind-solar hybrid power projects including the transmission network up to the delivery point at its own cost.
All approvals, permits, and clearances required for setting up of the project (along with the connectivity and long-term open access), including those required from the state government and local bodies will be the responsibility of the developer.
The cost of bay construction at the CTU substation will also be borne by the developer. The developers must strictly adhere to the specific wind-solar hybrid power policy of the state where the project is located.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/indian-railways-green-with-solar-panels-more-trains/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mercom has previously reported</a> about how the Indian Railways is continuing its efforts to add solar capacity for its electricity requirements. Indian Railway is the single largest consumer of electricity and <a href="https://mercomindia.com/indian-railways-net-zero-carbon-emitter-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plans to become</a> a net-zero carbon emitter by 2030.
Recently, the <a href="https://nr.indianrailways.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Northern Railways</a> invited <a href="https://mercomindia.com/northern-railways-rooftop-solar-tender/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">developers</a> for setting up of 4.715 MW of rooftop installations. This tender consisted of 133 installations of 10 kW (1.33 MW) and 677 installations of 5 kW (3.385 MW), totaling 4.715 MW, which was to be installed on D and E category railway stations.
In <a href="https://mercomindia.com/60-mw-tender-rooftop-solar-zonal-railway/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">March 2019</a>, REMCL tendered 60.17 MW of rooftop solar PV capacity to be set up on the rooftops of offices, buildings, and railway establishments across the zonal railways in India. <a href="https://mercomindia.com/railways-bids-2mw-solar-delhi-ambala-line/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In January 2019</a>, REMCL had invited bids for setting up of 2 MW of solar projects along the Delhi-Ambala railway track.

Railways Management Company Announces Tender for 140 MW of Wind-Solar Hybrid Projects

net-zero-carbon

Get the most relevant India solar and clean energy news.

RECENT POSTS