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					</table><p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/rajasthan-rejects-solar-developers-compensation-grid-fluctuations" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission, in a recent order, has rejected the compensation claims by a solar developer for losses incurred due to voltage fluctuations</strong></a> and directed them to make necessary arrangements for injecting or withdrawing reactive power per the regulations outlined by the Central Electricity Authority. The Commission also directed the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam, the state load dispatch center, and the solar developers to take appropriate and necessary action to maintain the grid voltage within the operating limits for 200 MW (2*100 MW) solar power projects at the Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/west-bengal-renewable-power-at-%e2%82%b92-92-kwh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission has given the green light to Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation to procure 150 MW of wind-solar hybrid power from Amp Energy Green Seventeen,</strong></a> a special-purpose vehicle of AmpIn Energy at ₹2.92 (~$0.03)/kWh. CESC had filed a petition on July 4, 2023, for the adoption of tariff and approval of the power purchase agreement (PPA) executed on June 28, 2023, with Amp Energy Green Seventeen for power procurement at the discovered tariff in the competitive bidding process.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/low-wind-generation-brings-green-energy-trade-iex-down" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) recorded the lowest renewable energy units traded in 2023 at 242.3 million units (MU) in August 2023, a 44.6% year-over-year (YoY) decline from 437 MU</a></strong> and an 11.9% drop from the 275 MU traded in July. The renewable energy trade at the IEX has witnessed a downward trend throughout 2023 compared to the previous year, with the highest green energy units traded in March 2023 at 391 MU. The Green Day-Ahead Market and Green Term-Ahead Market segments witnessed an unprecedented surge in weighted average prices during the month, leading to lower trading volumes.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/united-states-adds-5-6-gwdc-solar-capacity-q2-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The U.S. solar industry installed 5.6 GWdc of new capacity in Q2 2023, a year-over-year increase of 20% increase, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Q3 2023 report released by the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie.</strong></a> However, this also represented an 8% decline quarter-over-quarter. Notably, the total installed capacity for the year’s first half (1H) reached nearly 12 GW, a significant improvement compared to 1H 2022, when it was less than 8 GW. In terms of its contribution to the electricity landscape, solar accounted for 45% of all newly added generating capacity in 1H 2023.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/chargepoints-loss-surges-driven-by-inventory-impairment" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electric vehicle charging solution provider ChargePoint reported a net loss of $125.3 million in the Q2 of fiscal 2024, a 35% increase year-over-year from the loss of $92.7 million.</strong></a> This increase in losses was primarily due to an inventory impairment charge of $28 million during the period. In Q2, the company recorded a revenue of $150.5 million, marking a 39% increase from $108.3 million generated in the same quarter of the previous year.</p>


Daily News Wrap-Up: Rajasthan Rejects Solar Developer’s Compensation Claims


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					</table><p>The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://rerc.rajasthan.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RERC</a>), in a recent order, has rejected the compensation claims by a solar developer for losses incurred due to voltage fluctuations and directed them to make necessary arrangements for injecting or withdrawing reactive power per the regulations outlined by the Central Electricity Authority (<a href="https://cea.nic.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CEA</a>).</p>
<p>The Commission also directed the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (<a href="https://energy.rajasthan.gov.in/rrvpn/#/home/dptHome" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RVPN</a>), the state load dispatch center (<a href="https://sldc.rajasthan.gov.in/rrvpnl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SLDC</a>), and the solar developers to take appropriate and necessary action to maintain the grid voltage within the operating limits for 200 MW (2*100 MW) solar power projects at the Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan.</p>
<p>ACME Jodhpur Solar Power, ACME Rewa Solar Energy, and <a href="https://www.acmesolar.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACME Solar Holding</a> had filed a petition with the Commission requesting it to direct the respondents to comply with the Grid Code and take measures to overcome the issue of consistent voltage tripping at the 220 kV Bhadla substation and compensate the petitioners toward the loss of revenue.</p>
<p>The respondents included RVPN, SLDC, <a href="https://sauryaurja.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saurya Urja Company of Rajasthan</a>, <a href="https://nrldc.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Northern Regional Load Despatch Center</a>, <a href="http://164.100.60.165/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Northern Regional Power Committee</a>, and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (<a href="https://www.seci.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SECI</a>).</p>
<p><strong>Background </strong></p>
<p>ACME Solar Holding formed two special purpose vehicles (SPVs), namely ACME Jodhpur Solar Power and ACME Rewa Solar Energy, for the development of a 100 MW solar power project by each SPV at the Bhadla Solar Park, Phase-III in Rajasthan.</p>
<p>The projects supply power through a dedicated line connected to the Saurya Urja Company of Rajasthan’s 33/200 kV pooling substation, which is the interconnection point of the projects with the grid.</p>
<p>The pooling substation is connected to RVPN’s 400/220 kV grid substation through two 220 kV transmission lines.</p>
<p>The solar developers, in their submission, said since 2018, they had encountered severe voltage fluctuations at the Bhadla substation, resulting in abnormal tripping of solar inverters, damage to electrical components, and reduced power generation. The continuous under-voltage problems had hampered the generation process, preventing it from reaching its maximum capacity.</p>
<p>The petitioners contended that the grid disruptions and low voltage incidents at the Bhadla substation resulted from the absence of a secure and dependable transmission system, which was the responsibility of RVPN and SLDC.</p>
<p>However, despite repeated requests and acknowledgment of such events of grid disturbances involving voltage tripping, RVPN, and SLDC had failed to undertake measures to resolve such issues.</p>
<p>The petitioners had engaged Hitachi Energy India to conduct the steady state analysis and determine the cause for under voltage. According to Hitachi, the cause of the constant tripping was due to issues at the Bhadla grid substation.</p>
<p>Following this, RVPN officially approved installing a 500 MVAr transformer at the 400 kV Bhadla grid substation. However, despite receiving authorization in August 2022, there has been no progress on installing the transformer and STATCOM (Static Synchronous Compensator).</p>
<p>In response, RVPN explained that some tripping had occurred on the 220 kV line 1 (from the Pooling substation to the RVPN Bhadla substation) due to the activation of under-voltage protection by the Saurya Urja Company of Rajasthan. As of September 8, 2022, full solar generation had been recorded, and no further incidents of under-voltage tripping were observed.</p>
<p>RVPN also mentioned that on numerous occasions, the generator failed to provide reactive power to support the grid. Instead of assisting the grid, the generator had drawn reactive power from the grid when the grid voltage was low.</p>
<p>Saurya Urja Company of Rajasthan argued that considering the issues of over or under voltage on Line-01, the Commission should instruct RVPN to install STATCOM to enhance grid voltage during peak generation. This measure would prevent solar generators from experiencing energy losses and inverter tripping.</p>
<p>Furthermore, they requested the installation of two 25 MVAr shunt reactors to manage voltage conditions at the pooling substation connected to the main bus, with the associated development costs being covered by the solar power developers.</p>
<p><strong>Commission’s analysis</strong><strong>      </strong></p>
<p>The Commission observed that the solar developers had raised the issue of grid disturbances at the Bhadla substation and requested a compensation of ₹58 million (~$697,177) for loss of revenue.</p>
<p>The Commission noted that dynamically varying reactive support by generators is necessary to ensure a reliable voltage level. Voltage and reactive power control significantly impact system stability, and an imbalance of reactive power, i.e., drawl during low voltage supply, can lead to voltage instability.</p>
<p>The state regulator noted that RVPN and Saurya Urja Company of Rajasthan had reported that the real-time reactive power injection and absorption support from the generator during under or over-voltage conditions did not meet the requirements of the CEA regulations.</p>
<p>It also directed the RVPN to commission the sanctioned +300MVAR, 400 kV STATCOM at 400 kV GSS Bhadla, and +100MVAR, 220 kV STATCOM at 220 kV GSS Phalodi.</p>
<p>It noted that the grid voltage should remain within the operating limits as specified in the CEA regulations, and the responsibility to maintain the grid voltage pertained to the solar developers, Saurya Urja Company of Rajasthan, RVPN, and SLDC.</p>
<p>In light of this, the Commission instructed the solar developers to establish suitable arrangements for injecting or withdrawing reactive power per the regulations outlined by the CEA.</p>
<p>According to the CEA, the generating station must be capable of supplying dynamically varying reactive power support to maintain power factor within the limits of 0.95 lagging to 0.95 leading.</p>
<p>As the petitioner shared most of the responsibility in this matter, compensation could not be awarded to the developers.</p>
<p>In June this year, CEA <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/renewable-developers-must-comply-connectivity-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directed</a> renewable energy developers who have applied for connectivity until April 30, 2023, to comply with CEA Connectivity Regulations by September 30 or face disconnection.</p>
<p>Lately, Mercom <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/reactive-power-support-renewables-to-prevent-blackouts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">penned</a> an article discussing the crucial aspects of grid safety, emphasizing the necessity of compensating for reactive power (grid inertia) and maintaining voltage stability.</p>
<p>Subscribe to Mercom’s real-time <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-renewable-energy-regulatory-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regulatory Updates </a>to ensure you don’t miss any critical updates from the renewable industry.</p>


Rajasthan Rejects Solar Developer’s Compensation Claims for Grid Fluctuations


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					</table><p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/reactive-power-support-renewables-to-prevent-blackouts" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The drive towards energy security and cleaner power sources has led to robust renewable energy capacity additions in India.</strong></a> Among renewables, solar and wind energy – both intermittent sources have been added at a larger scale and must ensure reactive power (grid inertia) compensation and voltage stability for grid safety. The solar and wind capacity in the total installed power capacity has risen from less than 10% at the end of 2013 to about 25.5% as of December 2022, according to Mercom India Research.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/sjvn-bags-contract-320-mw-solar-projects-assam" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SJVN Green Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SJVN, has won the contract to develop three solar power projects of a cumulative capacity of 320 MW from Assam Power Distribution Corporation</strong></a><strong> (APDCL)</strong>. The estimated cost of the projects is ₹19 billion (~$229.87 million). APDCL had floated the tenders for 50 MW, 70 MW, and 200 MW solar projects in February this year and had set a ceiling tariff of ₹4 (~$0.0484)/kWh.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/reliance-to-renewable-energy-capacity-by-2030" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Diversified group Reliance Industries said it aims to install 100 GW of clean energy capacity by 2030 to contribute significantly to sustainability.</strong></a> Addressing the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the company, Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani said over the next five years, Reliance is committed to transitioning a significant portion of its energy footprint in connectivity and digital services to green energy sources.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/rajasthan-solar-projects-under-kusum-in-pali" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Jodhpur Vidyut Vitran Nigam has floated a tender for installing and commissioning 45.8 MW grid-connected solar power projects in various subdivisions of Pali Circle under Component C</strong></a> of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan program for feeder-level polarization. The projects will be developed under the renewable energy service company model. The last date for the submission of bids is October 16, 2023. Bids will be opened on October 18.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/gensol-%E2%82%B91-billion-solar-epc-contracts-dubai" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Engineering and consulting firm Gensol Engineering has bagged two international engineering, procurement, and construction projects with a cumulative capacity of 14.08 MW in Dubai</strong></a> with the Dubai Government Workshop Warehouse and the Dubai Police. The estimated value of the contract is ₹1.016 billion (~$12.29 million). The two contracts encompass various aspects such as design, engineering, supply, construction, erection, testing, and commissioning.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/frances-rooftop-auction-average-tariff-0-11-kwh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>France’s Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition has announced the list of successful bidders for the fifth round of auctions for commercial and industrial rooftop solar projects of capacities</strong></a> higher than 500 kW for a total capacity of 378 MW. The average price quoted by the 60 winners in the auction was €0.1019 (~$0.1102)/kWh. Technique Solaire secured the highest capacity of 79.13 MW, followed by special purpose vehicles of Urba Solar with 57.59 MW and Reden Solar with 36.75 MW.</p>


Daily News Wrap-Up: Reactive Power Support for Renewables Key to Prevent Blackouts


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					</table><p>The Central Electricity Authority (<a href="https://cea.nic.in/?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CEA</a>) has directed renewable energy developers who have applied for connectivity until April 30, 2023 to comply with CEA Connectivity Regulations by September 30 or face disconnection.</p>
<p>Additionally, renewable energy developers who have applied for connectivity after April 30, 2023, should adhere to the requirements specified in the ‘Technical Standards for Connectivity to the Grid Regulations 2007,’ along with subsequent amendments.</p>
<p>The CEA directive comes in the wake of the connectivity regulations not being complied with.</p>
<p>There were 28 incidents involving the loss of over 1,000 MW of renewable energy in the grid since January 2022.</p>
<p>The CEA has categorized these grid events into three types: overvoltage during the switching operation, faults near the renewable energy complex, and low-frequency oscillations within the renewable energy complex.</p>
<p>An analysis of these incidents revealed that inadequate reactive support from variable renewable energy was one of the contributing factors, both in static and dynamic conditions.</p>
<p>According to the CEA Connectivity Regulations, it is necessary to have dynamically varying reactive power support during low voltage ride through (LVRT) and high voltage ride through (HVRT).</p>
<p>This is because fixed capacitor banks can only provide reactive support during steady-state conditions and deliver support in steps after a time delay. Therefore, the provision of dynamically varying reactive power support is crucial to ensure grid stability and security.</p>
<p>Compliance with the connectivity regulations,  the CEA said, is mandatory for all renewable energy developers at the connectivity level.</p>
<p>In February, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/cerc-new-deviation-guidelines-maintain-grid-security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> new guidelines to supplement the Deviation Settlement Mechanism Regulations 2022 to maintain grid security. These regulations came into force last December after which wide frequency fluctuations in the grid had occurred. The regulator stipulated certain measures to contain frequency within the operating band.</p>
<p>Grid frequency <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/explainer-why-new-regulations-made-grid-unstable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swung</a> wildly and dangerously on December 20 last year. A significant drop or rise in frequency could lead to a blackout.</p>
<p>The CEA had <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/amidst-rise-renewables-cea-ways-maintain-adequate-generation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prepared</a> a draft resource adequacy plan to maintain adequate generation capacity to meet future energy demands. The document said it had become imperative to plan for the increasing share of variable renewable energy in the total energy mix.</p>


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