South Africa Awards 16 Solar and Battery Energy Storage Projects in REIPPPP Auction

Lowest Wind-Solar Hybrid Power Tariffs in 2024 [Infographics]

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Punjab Awards 264 MW Solar Projects to VP Solar Generation Under KUSUM

Major Events that Impacted the Indian Solar Sector in 2024

SECI Tenders 125 MW/500 MWh Battery Energy Storage System in Kerala

Daily News Wrap-Up: APTEL Upholds Wind Power Firms’ Right to Terminate PPAs

Rajasthan Issues Empanelment Tender for 511 MW of Rooftop Solar Projects

APTEL Upholds Two Andhra Pradesh Wind Power Companies’ Right to Terminate PPAs

UltraTech Cement to Source Wind-Solar Hybrid Power from Clean Max

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					</table><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-do-away-cpsus-involvement-rooftop-solar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced 300 units of free electricity through rooftop solar projects installed under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the Ministry of New and</a> Renewable Energy (MNRE) has told industry stakeholders that it is rethinking the implementation of the program. Sources told Mercom that MNRE, in an interaction with industry stakeholders, that Central Public Sector Undertakings designated as the implementing agencies may no longer be involved in executing the program.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-holds-almm-reimposition-order-abeyance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The MNRE has kept in abeyance its recent order reimposing the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers regulation from April 1, 2024.</a> On February 9, 2024, the ministry confirmed the reimposition of ALMM with exemptions for projects set up under open access solar and those in advanced stages of construction and rooftop solar projects with no subsidy. The MNRE has now stated that the previous order will stay in abeyance till further orders are issued.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/punjab-floats-rooftop-solar-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL) has invited bids to set up 31.37 MW rooftop solar power projects at various office buildings, 66 kV grid substations, hydel projects, and thermal projects of</a> PSPCL at different locations under seven packages. The last date for the submission of bids is March 14, 2024. Bids will be opened the next day. Bidders must provide an earnest money deposit equal to 2% of the project cost, with a maximum limit set at ₹2 million (~$24,087.08). Except Package 7, whose limit is set to ₹800,000 (~$9,634.51)
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/government-pilot-projects-hydrogen-trucks-buses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">After initiatives aimed at using green hydrogen to decarbonize the shipping and steel sectors, the government has turned its attention towards transportation.</a> MNRE has launched pilot projects to use green hydrogen in the long-haul transportation sector under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The program aims to support the deployment of green hydrogen through fuel cell electric vehicles and hydrogen internal combustion engine-based trucks and buses in a phased manner. It will also explore blending green hydrogen-based ethanol, methanol, and other synthetic fuels to run automobiles.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/arunachal-pradesh-500-solar-water-pumps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arunachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency has invited bids to commission 500 DC solar water pumping systems of 2 HP to 7.5 HP capacity at various locations in the state under the Component B</a> of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan program. The systems should carry a warranty and include annual maintenance contracts for five years. The project’s estimated cost is ₹173.95 million (~$2.09 million). The pumps must be commissioned within 120 days of receiving the work order.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/grid-connectivity-hybrid-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission has clarified that Regulation 2(xix) of the MPERC (Cogeneration and Generation of Electricity from Renewable Sources of Energy) Regulations,</a> 2021 expressly states that hybrid renewable projects can be situated at two distinct locations and are permitted to inject power into the grid from two points. The order is in response to a petition filed by Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Company seeking clarification regarding the definition of a renewable hybrid energy project.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/eu-targets-domestic-green-technology-2030" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The European Union has reached a provisional agreement on legislation aimed at boosting the bloc’s production of green technologies needed to achieve its goal of cutting carbon emissions by at least</a> 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The legislation called the “Net-Zero Industry Act” is intended to support domestic manufacturing of key technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and carbon capture. The goal is to use domestically produced green technology to cover 40% of the EU’s needs by 2030.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/executives-in-the-renewables-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Check out Recent Executives Appointments in the Renewables Industry</a>

Daily News Wrap-Up: MNRE Rethinks CPSUs’ Involvement in Rooftop Solar Program

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					</table>Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://www.jserc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JSERC</a>) has formulated regulations for group net metering and virtual net metering in the state. The rules are expected to help achieve the goals outlined in the Jharkhand State Solar Policy 2022.
Referred to as the Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Group Net Metering and Virtual Net Metering) Regulations, 2024, these rules will be effective upon their publication in the Jharkhand State Government Gazette.
Applicability
The group net metering and virtual net metering frameworks are applicable to all eligible consumers. However, consumers with outstanding arrears with the distribution licensee will not be considered eligible.
The guidelines for providing land space will be governed by the provisions of JSERC (Electricity Supply Code) Regulations, 2015, subject to amendments and orders issued over time.
The distribution licensee must conduct a comprehensive technical study to assess the impact of the installed renewable energy system on the distribution system.
Applicants must submit a group net metering or virtual net metering application with a non-refundable fee for feasibility analysis.
Technical Feasibility Analysis
The distribution licensee is responsible for conducting a technical feasibility analysis based on the information provided in the application submitted by the eligible consumer.
This analysis must be completed within seven working days of the application being submitted. The distribution company (DISCOM) will grant feasibility approval to consumers on a first-come, first-served basis.
Connection Agreement
Eligible consumers and DISCOMs must finalize a technical and commercial agreement defining roles and responsibilities within 30 days of the technical feasibility analysis. Failure to do so will result in application cancellation.
The installation of the project must be completed within six months from the date of the agreement.
The DISCOM reserves the right to grant time extensions on a case-by-case basis should any delays extend beyond the stipulated six months. However, after this extended period, the agreement will be considered terminated.
Metering Arrangement
The distribution licensee is mandated to install renewable energy meters at the generation points, enabling remote meter reading as per the provisions outlined in clause A9 of JSERC (Rooftop Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems and Net/Gross Metering) Regulations, 2015, subject to amendments and orders issued over time.
The consumer covers the net meter cost, capturing both imported and exported electricity. The &#8220;cost&#8221; denotes the difference between removing the current meter and installing a new net meter.
Billing and Energy Accounting (Group Net Metering)
Surplus energy from the renewable energy system, exceeding consumption, is adjusted against other service connections&#8217; energy consumption based on a predefined priority list and sharing ratio.
Consumers can revise the priority list and sharing ratio at the beginning of every financial year with a two-month notice. Adjustment starts after accounting for energy at the renewable energy project&#8217;s service connection.
Electricity consumption and generation within specific time blocks (e.g., peak or off-peak hours) are reconciled in the same billing cycle. Surplus units are offset against the monthly energy consumption based on a priority list and consumer-provided ratios.
This adjustment follows the sequence of off-peak time blocks for Time of Day (ToD) consumers and normal time blocks for non-ToD consumers.
Off-peak time blocks refer to low-demand periods with lower rates for ToD consumers. Normal time blocks indicate consistent rates throughout the day for non-ToD consumers.
Excess exported units are carried forward to the next billing cycle as energy credits to offset future consumption within the settlement period. Energy units will be moderated as per the relevant rebate/surcharge percentage of the ToD tariff applicable for the relevant year.
Unadjusted electricity credits are settled at the end of each period, paid by the distribution licensee according to approved rates, and reset to zero thereafter.
Billing and Energy Accounting (Virtual Net Metering)
Energy generated from the renewable energy system is credited to monthly bills of participating connections based on the procurement ratio specified in the agreement/MoU.
Consumers can annually change their electricity credit share, subject to the procurement ratio, with a two-month notice.
If a participating consumer&#8217;s service connection is disconnected, the distribution licensee pays unadjusted units/remaining credits at a commission-approved rate by the end of the financial year.
Consumption is first compensated with renewable energy system generation in the same time blocks, with surplus credited as if occurring during off-peak hours.
Excess credited units are carried forward to the next billing period as energy credits to be adjusted against future consumption within the settlement period.
Energy units for carry forward or set-off are moderated based on relevant tariff rebates/surcharges.
Unadjusted electricity credits are settled by the distribution licensee at the end of each period, paid at commission-approved rates, resetting to zero at the beginning of the next settlement period.
Inspection
DISCOM officials have the authority to conduct routine inspections on the renewable energy system or battery energy storage system (BESS) charged through a renewable energy system throughout the agreement term. During these inspections, DISCOM officials must verify the following aspects:
<ul>
<li>Ensure that all protective equipment of the renewable energy system or BESS charged through a renewable energy system is functioning according to specifications.</li>
<li>Confirm that the renewable energy system or BESS charged through a renewable energy system, including panels and inverters, continues to comply with the requirements of Indian and IEC standards post-installation until the completion of the connection agreement.</li>
</ul>
Dispute Resolution
In case of any dispute related to billing, the resolution process shall follow the guidelines outlined in the JSERC (Guidelines for the Establishment of Forum for Redressal of Grievances of the Consumers, Electricity Ombudsman, and Consumer Advocacy) Regulations, 2020, subject to amendments from time to time.
Applicability of Other Charges
The renewable energy system commissioned under the JSERC (Rooftop Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems and Net/Gross Metering) Regulations, 2015, and these regulations shall be exempted from the payment of wheeling charges, banking charges, cross-subsidy charges, and any other applicable charges.
Renewable Purchase Obligation
The electricity generated will contribute towards meeting the renewable purchase obligation for the distribution licensee, provided the renewable energy generator is not an obligated entity.
Eligibility for REC Mechanism
The eligibility criteria for participation in the renewable energy certificate mechanism shall adhere to clause A13 of the JSERC (Rooftop Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems and Net/Gross Metering) Regulations, 2015, subject to amendments made from time to time and orders issued accordingly.
Power to Remove Difficulties/Amend
If implementing the provisions outlined in these regulations becomes difficult, the Commission can issue directions, either through general or specific orders. These directions should be in harmony with the provisions of the act and deemed necessary or expedient to address and resolve difficulties.
The Commission retains the authority to introduce changes, variations, alterations, modifications, or amendments to any provisions of these regulations. Such amendments will be carried out by following the necessary procedural steps.
Recently, JSERC <a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/daily-news-wrap-up-rajasthans-net-metering-cap-increased/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> new regulations to encourage the generation of electricity from renewable sources. Called the Jharkhand State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Terms and Conditions for Green Energy Open Access) Regulations, 2024, these rules outline the measures for grid connection and the sale of green energy.
Jharkhand had <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/jharkhand-issues-new-solar-policy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the  ‘Jharkhand Solar Policy 2022’, aiming to deploy a cumulative capacity of 4 GW in the state by 2026.
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 stay informed about critical updates from the renewable industry.

Jharkhand Introduces Solar Group and Virtual Net Metering Framework

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					</table>The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://kerc.karnataka.gov.in/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KERC</a>) approved ₹70.6 million (~$849,791) compensation to Solitaire Powertech over the reported generation loss of 15,949 MWh for its 30 MW solar project, following the final estimations submitted by the Grid Controller of India (<a href="https://posoco.in/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GCIL</a>).
Solitaire Powertech filed a petition seeking compensation for a generation loss of 28,242 MWh for their 30 MW solar project from August 2020 to September 2021.
The respondents in the case were Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation (<a href="https://kptcl.karnataka.gov.in/english" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KPTCL</a>) and Solar Energy Corporation of India (<a href="https://www.seci.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SECI</a>).
Background
Solitaire Powertech first filed the petition for compensation with KERC in 2021. The Commission, in an order dated September 14, 2021, outlined that the petitioner is entitled to ₹4.43 (~$0.053)/kWh compensation for generation loss due to transmission congestion starting August 1, 2020. Monthly compensation calculations were to be submitted to the Commission and KPTCL within eight weeks.
The Commission said it would verify and determine a lump sum compensation payable by KPTCL within eight weeks, with a 6% per annum interest on default.
Following this order, KPTCL challenged it through a writ petition, and the petitioner contested the decision before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (<a href="https://aptel.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">APTEL</a>), disputing the disallowed claim from the commercial operation date of April 7, 2018.
After the petition’s dismissal, KPTCL filed an appeal against the final order&#8217;s legality and was directed to approach its state commission and seek a third-party assessment.
After reviewing submissions, the Commission decided to refer the assessment of generation loss to an independent expert and chose the Grid Controller of India (<a href="https://www.posoco.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GCIL</a>).
The Executive Director of Southern Regional Load Despatch Centre (SRLDC) at GCIL submitted a detailed curtailment report on June 15, 2023, quantifying a net generation loss of 15,949 MWh for the relevant period of the petitioner&#8217;s 30 MW solar project due to power evacuation curtailment.
Following the report submission, both the petitioner and KPTCL filed objections.
The petitioner challenged Grid India&#8217;s Curtailment Report, asserting errors in quantifying generation losses due to technology and location differences. It also argued against the comparison with Azure&#8217;s project, emphasizing the necessity of shutting down extra inverters for grid security.
The petitioner argued that the amount of energy produced by the petitioner&#8217;s project&#8217;s generating units has significantly decreased in the Curtailment Report, indicating an error of around 30%.
The report from Grid India explicitly stated that the petitioner had suffered a generation loss of at least 15,949 MWh, contrasting with the 28,242 MWh loss calculated in the TUV Rheinland Report.
The petitioner urged the rejection of Grid India&#8217;s Curtailment Report and acceptance of the 28,242 MWh generation loss computed in the TUV Rheinland Report.
KPTCL argued that no liability for damages exists due to the absence of a valid agreement pre-determining damages. Without a binding agreement on damages, KPTCL claimed that it could not be held responsible for hypothetically quantified losses.
It also added that the petition did not allege loss/damages based on tortious liability, so no relief could be granted on that ground. Therefore, it requested the dismissal of GCIL&#8217;s estimated loss and rejection of the petitioner&#8217;s claim for the above reasons.
Commission Analysis 
The Commission analyzed the opposing arguments for the energy loss from August 2020 to September 2021.
It noted that the petitioner submitted an Energy Yield Estimation Analysis Report by TUV Rheinland, estimating a loss of 28,242 MWh. However, it raised concerns regarding the reliability of the TUV Rheinland software.
The Commission found the evidence insufficient to support the claimed energy loss.
In case the loss of generation at 15,949 MWh, as assessed by GRID India, is accepted or adjusted, the Commission said GRID India&#8217;s report estimated a generation loss of 15,949 MWh.
The Commission considered the methodology used and the objections raised by both parties. After assessing dissimilarities between projects and expert opinion from GCIL, the Commission affirmed the 15,949 MWh generation loss as calculated by GRID India.
The Commission rejected the petitioner&#8217;s request to true up the generation loss, considering the reasonableness of the estimate provided by GCIL.
Given the validated generation loss of 15,949 MWh, at a rate of ₹4.43(~$0.053)/kWh, the total compensation/damages payable to the petitioner is ₹70.6 million (~$849,791), i.e., 15,949 x 1,000 x 4.43(~$0.053) = ₹70,654,070 (~$849,791).
Recently, KERC <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/karnataka-regulator-condones-project-commissioning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condoned</a> the delay in the commissioning of solar power projects by a developer and allowed the extension of the scheduled commercial operation date.
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.

KERC Greenlights ₹70.6 Million Compensation for Generation Loss to Developer

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					</table>Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://kerc.karnataka.gov.in/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KERC</a>) has approved the group captive status of a 38 MW wind power project for Four EF Renewables, a special purpose vehicle of <a href="https://www.ampyrenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ampyr Energy</a>. The petitioner can claim group captive status from May 24, 2021.
The petitioner is entitled to a banking facility from August 24, 2021, confirmed by a supplemental agreement on May 23, 2022.
However, KERC ruled that Four EF Renewables will not be entitled to compensation for power injected without open access from December 6, 2020, to February 23, 2021.
Background 
Four EF Renewables filed a petition under the Electricity Act, 2003, with Regulations 21 of the KERC (General and Conduct of Proceedings) Regulations, 2000, requesting the respondents to refund 300 lapsed units generated and wheeled into the respondents&#8217; grid system between December 6, 2020, and February 28, 2021.
They also sought a credit of 2% of energy per month from the date of the denial until the actual crediting of energy.
Four EF Renewables mentioned that it has already paid 0.5% of the quantified amount, totaling ₹114,376 (~$1,375), as a court fee.
The petitioner requested the respondents to refund the excess tariff collected, considering the injected energy into the grid as utilized energy and a 2% interest per month from the date of the denial until the actual payment.
The four respondents were Bangalore Electricity Supply <a href="https://bescom.karnataka.gov.in/english" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BESCOM</a>, Mangalore Electricity Supply <a href="https://mescom.karnataka.gov.in/english" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MESCOM</a>, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation <a href="https://kptcl.karnataka.gov.in/english" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KPTCL</a> and State Load Dispatch Centre, Karnataka (<a href="https://kptclsldc.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SLDC</a>).
Four EF Renewables argued that Article 10.1 of the agreement mandates Wheeling and Banking Agreement (WBA) from February 23, 2021, making respondents contractually obligated for the banking facility from that date.
Section 9 of the Electricity Act grants every generating project the right to captive usage, safeguarded by wheeling and banking facilities. The petitioner also asserted discriminatory treatment, noting similar WBAs granted to other companies.
The respondents claimed the petitioner concealed facts, such as an agreement to supply power to third-party consumers and an affidavit agreeing to execute a wheeling agreement.
They also accused the petitioner of injecting power into the grid before the wheeling agreement&#8217;s execution, endangering the grid. They also claimed that banking facility is not an inherent right.
The respondents highlighted the discrepancies in the petitioner&#8217;s claim of establishing a group captive power project.
They said there was no obligation to pay the petitioner since the power injection was not pursuant to any agreement.
The respondents said no wheeling and banking agreement was executed during the disputed period and that the petitioner was not entitled to carry forward units of energy.
The petitioner&#8217;s claim of entitlement to banking from February 23, 2021, does not hold because the executed wheeling agreement does not grant any banking rights.
KPTCL and SLCD also asserted that the petitioner is not entitled to any relief, including interim relief.
Commission’s Analysis 
The Commission ruled that the petitioner&#8217;s power project cannot be deemed a captive power plant from its commissioning date on December 7, 2020.
The petitioner explicitly expressed its initial intention to supply power under third-party open access, only later seeking approval for conversion to a group captive power plant.
Therefore, group captive status can be granted only from the date of the government order on May 24, 2021.
Regarding banking facility entitlement, the regulator said the Electricity Act does not define banking, but various state electricity regulatory commissions have extended banking as a promotional measure. However, banking is not a right under the Act.
By providing an affidavit on December 7, 2020, the petitioner voluntarily relinquished its claim to banking by agreeing to wheeling without banking.
The Commission said Four EF Renewables is, however, entitled to banking from August 24, 2021, following the approval received from the government, as affirmed through a supplemental agreement on May 23, 2022.
It ruled that per the KERC (Terms and Conditions for Open Access) Regulations, 2004, the respondents are not obligated to compensate for energy injected without granting open access.
Therefore, the petitioner was deemed not entitled to any refund or compensation for power injected into the grid from December 6, 2020, to February 28, 2021.
The Commission directed the parties to settle any payable amounts within two months based on available records. Failure to do so will incur a 10% interest on the due amount from the date of this order.
In June, KERC <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/karnataka-clarifications-green-energy-open-access-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clarified</a> various rules in the state’s Terms and Conditions for Green Energy Open Access Regulations 2022.
Recently, KERC <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/karnataka-additional-surcharge-green-open-access" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> an additional surcharge of ₹1.40 /kWh (~$0.017) for consumers availing power through open access for the financial year 2023-24.
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.

Karnataka Regulator Upholds Group Captive Status of 38 MW Wind Project

Considering the ongoing economic disruption caused amid the Coronavirus pandemic, the West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="http://www.wberc.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WBERC</a>) has issued an order for the late payment surcharge (LPS) to be charged by the generating companies and transmission licensees.
The Commission noted that if any delayed payment (beyond 60 days) by the distribution companies (DISCOMs) to the generating companies falls between March 24, 2020, and June 30, 2020, the DISCOMs should make the payment with a reduced rate of late payment surcharge at 1% per month.
Recently, given the ongoing lockdown caused to arrest the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Electricity of Regulatory Commission (<a href="http://www.cercind.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CERC</a>) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/cerc-discoms-reduced-late-payment-surcharge-covid-19-outbreak/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reduced</a> the rate for LPS payable by DISCOMs power generators. The LPS has now been reduced to 12% per annum from the earlier 18% if the due date falls between March 24, 2020, and June 30, 2020. The CERC stated that if there’s any delay in the payment to the generating companies and inter-state transmission licensees beyond 45 days from the date of presentation of the bills (between March 24, 2020, and June 30, 2020), then the DISCOMs can make the payment of LPS at a reduced rate of 1% per month instead of 1.5%.
Following CERC’s announcement of the reduction in the LPS were also announced by <a href="https://mercomindia.com/punjab-reduce-late-payment-surcharge-discoms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Punjab</a>, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/late-payment-surcharge-discoms-reduced-madhya-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Madhya Pradesh</a>, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/lockdown-goa-ut-reduce-late-payment-surcharge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Goa</a>, and Union Territories.
The Commission further noted that if the period of 60 days falls before March 24, 2020, or after June 30, 2020, the DISCOM should be liable to pay the surcharge as per the tariff regulations.
The Commission said that the relief could be claimed under force majeure provisions of the power purchase agreements (PPAs). It also clarified that the beneficiaries of the generating stations would continue to avail rebates as per the tariff regulations if the payments are made within the timeline specified in the said regulations.
Similarly, the Commission stated that for intrastate transmission licensees, the late payment surcharge would be governed following the provisions of the transmission service agreements (TSAs).
WBERC also noted that the state generating companies should not use coercive means for recovering dues.  They should continue the supply of electricity as it has been recognized as an <a href="https://mercomindia.com/staff-renewable-allowed-work-covid-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">essential service</a> by the government of West Bengal as well as the government of India.
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is being felt by industries across the board, and the renewable sector is also feeling the heat. You can find all the steps taken by the government and the impact of the pandemic on the industry <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mercom-coronavirus-live-updates-clean-energy-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

West Bengal Reduces Late Payment Surcharge to 1% Per Month Amid COVID-19 Lockdown

The global renewable energy industry created more than 500,000 new jobs worldwide in 2017. This was a 5.3 percent increase from 2016, according to the <a href="http://irena.org/publications/2018/May/Renewable-Energy-and-Jobs-Annual-Review-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest figures</a> released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (<a href="http://www.irena.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IRENA</a>).
According to the fifth edition of Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review, the total number of people employed in the sector now stands at 10.3 million globally, surpassing the 10-million mark for the first time.
According to the report, China, Brazil, the United States, India, Germany, and Japan remain the world’s largest renewable energy employers, representing more than 70 per cent of all industry jobs globally. Although growing numbers of countries are reaping the socio-economic benefits of renewables, the bulk of manufacturing takes place in relatively few countries and domestic markets vary enormously in size. Sixty per cent of all renewable energy jobs are in Asia, the report noted.
The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry remains the largest employer of all renewable energy technologies, accounting for close to 3.4 million jobs, up almost 9 percent from 2016 following a record 94 GW of installations in 2017, IRENA observed.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/irenajob.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9914" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/irenajob.png" alt="Renewable Energy Industry Created 10.3 Million Jobs Globally in 2017: IRENA" width="630" height="415" srcset="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/irenajob.png 630w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/irenajob-600x395.png 600w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/irenajob-300x198.png 300w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/irenajob-624x411.png 624w" sizes="(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px" /></a>
China was estimated to account for two-thirds of solar PV jobs – equivalent to 2.2 million – representing an expansion of 13 percent over the previous year. Despite a slight dip in Japan and the United States, the two countries followed China as the largest markets for solar PV employment in the world. India and Bangladesh complete a top five that accounts for around 90 percent of global solar PV jobs.
“The data also underscores an increasingly regionalized picture, highlighting that in countries where attractive policies exist, the economic, social and environmental benefits of renewable energy are most evident. Fundamentally, this data supports our analysis that decarbonization of the global energy system can grow the global economy and create up to 28 million jobs in the sector by 2050,” Adnan Z. Amin, the director general of IRENA, said in the report.
Jobs in the wind industry decreased slightly last year to 1.15 million worldwide. While wind jobs are found in a relatively small number of countries, the degree of concentration is lower than what is found in the solar PV sector. China accounts for 44 percent of global wind employment, followed by Europe and North America with 30 and 10 percent, respectively. Half of the top ten countries with the largest installed capacity of wind power in the world are in Europe.
India installed a record <a href="https://mercomindia.com/research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9.6 GW</a> in solar installations in 2017 but due to uncertainty surrounding the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/over-2gw-tender-postponed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">safeguard duty</a> imposition and other trade cases, solar installations are expected to be lower in 2018. With majority of the solar jobs coming from installation activity, lower installation levels will mean slowdown in job creation in 2018.
Image credit: By Kenueone [CC0 or CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
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