Sunday 29 December 2013

Solar jackets to make next summer cooler

Enjoy the chill in air for the time being instead of fretting over the sultry summer that will follow the brief winter season in city. By the time summer sets in, you may have a new jacket in your wardrobe to save yourself from the heat. Solar expert SP Gon Chaudhuri and scientists of the SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences are working on the final stages to introduce solar jackets some time next month.

Gon Chaudhuri, the former advisor to the state power department, said the prototypes had already been prepared and will be launched officially in the first week of January. "We will do an extensive research on how to give these jackets a smart look. One city-based company has already approached us to have a look at the prototype," Gon Chaudhuri said.

The price of the jackets also will also be very reasonable. They will be priced anything between Rs 1,400 and Rs 1,800.

"It has to be seen how we can maximize the possibility to providing comfort to the users. The SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences will conduct a study on this," Gon Chaudhuri said. He has already spoken with Kolkata Police top brass so that traffic police officers, who need to stay in the heat for long hours, can wear these solar jackets during hot summer days.

Before collaborating with SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences to work on the prototypes of solar jackets, Gon Chaudhuri, who has done various researches on solar power technologies, had been doing a research on the concept of solar jackets at the Arka-Ignou Community College of Renewable Energy.

Explaining the technology of the jackets, Gon Chaudhuri said they will be nothing but 'portable electricity". One wears a jacket in the winter to feel warm. The solar jacket will do just the opposite by making one feel cool during hot summer days. The jacket will have two layers that will have thread-like wires. They will be integrated with solar cells. Once solar cells get activated, mini computer-operated fans will start functioning. This will bring down the temperature inside the jacket. The user will feel at least 5 to 6 degrees cooler than outside temperature.

Wednesday 11 December 2013

Global solar power plant development company, Rays Power Experts has signed agreement for setting up 5 new projects totalling 15 MW of solar power capacity before March 2014 with an estimated investment of $27 million.

The projects are mainly in the in the Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR).

Targeting to complete 150 MW of solar power capacity by the end of this financial year, Rays Power Experts has set its eye to become a leading player of the solar power industry.

In a statement issued here, Rahul Gupta, Director, Rays Power Experts said the company was in the middle of acquiring many more such projects across different verticals of the industry. “Rays Experts is targeting for 250 MW of installed solar power plants producing electricity for more than 5 million households per year,’’ he added.

The company has successfully accomplished all its committed projects of 29 MW for 11 projects in 2.5 months by end of September 2013. Over Rs. 750 crores have already been invested to get to this great number of 100 MW achieved so far.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Godawari Solar Thermal Plant Generating Above Stated Capacity

Godawari Power (GODPI) & Ispat Ltd.’s solar-thermal plant, Asia’s biggest, is generating more power than expected, allaying criticism that the technology was failing in India, a government official said.

Godawari’s 50-megawatt project is at times generating 10 megawatts more than its stated capacity, said Tarun Kapoor, head of solar policy at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

“People were saying that solar thermal was not going to work out in India,” Kapoor said at the Intersolar conference in Mumbai today. “That has now been proven wrong.”

Godawari’s plant is the first of seven solar-thermal generators planned in India. The remaining six have had their deadlines extended to February from May, Kapoor said. Plants by Reliance Power Ltd. (RPWR) and Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd. should be finished soon, he said.

Solar-thermal technology focuses sunlight on liquids to produce steam to run conventional turbines. The other way to generate power from sunlight is to use photovoltaic panels to convert the rays directly to electricity.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Monday 9 December 2013

DVC seeks WB funding for 1,000 mw solar plan

Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), owned jointly by the centre, West Bengal government and Jharkhand government, has lined up plans to reach up to 1,000 mw of solar generating capacity by 2022, which would entail a cumulative capital investment of nearly Rs 8,500 crore over this period and it is seeking a 30-year long-term World Bank funding to reach its goal, top DVC officials told Financial Chronicle.

DVC is anyway required to scale up its solar capacity to a minimum of 235 mw by financial year 2017, in line with its solar RPO (renewable purchase obligations) obligations for the existing distribution business of the company. The solar PV potential of the company in the command area is 410 m

w across irrigation canals. DVC also has additional utilisation potential in terms of dams with a combined length of 16,538 meters, reservoirs with combined top of gate area of 362.92 sq km and possession of barren lands, TG hall roof-top etc.

Significantly, taking a cue to the success of 1 mw canal top solar power project set up by Gujarat state electricity board (GSEB) over 1 km long stretch of Narmada branch canal, DVC has already initiated 15 mw canal top solar power project on DVC canal, for which DPR has been done and EOI has been floated and NIT has also been floated. It is expected that the ordering for the project will be done by this month and the plant is expected to be installed by the end of 2014.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Friday 6 December 2013

ACME partners French co to set up solar projects

ACME Cleantech Solutions, an energy generation, management and conservation company, on Thursday, announced it joined hands with French renewable energy giant EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) to set up 200 MW solar power projects in India.

“EDF EN, the renewable energy arm of French state-run electricity utility Électricité de France S.A., and natural resources saving group EREN, will acquire 25 per cent each in ACME Solar to set up large scale solar projects in India,’’ an official statement by ACME Cleantech Solutions said here. ACME Solar will thus be a joint venture between ACME Cleantech, EDF EN and EREN. At present, ACME Cleantech has a 17.5 MW of solar generation capacity.

The company is developing a 25-MW project in Madhya Pradesh and another 25 MW in Odisha.

The joint venture plans to set up an initial portfolio of 200 MW of solar power projects in various phases.

“We believe EDF EN & EREN partnership will help us scale solar energy generation, and play an important role in the renewal sector,’’ Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Chairman, ACME Cleantech said in the statement.

EDF EN CEO Antoine Cahuzac said the new partnership would establish themselves in the solar power market in a country with high level of demand for renewable energy.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Sunday 1 December 2013

Escoms want your surplus solar power

The five electricity supply companies (Escoms) in Karnataka are working out modalities to tap the surplus solar power available with industries and domestic consumers. They are planning to approach the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) to fix the tariff for such power generators.

Many individuals and industrialists have installed solar panels in their homes and factories.

During an interaction on Saturday with bulk consumers in the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) jurisdiction, Principal Secretary of Energy Department Amita Prasad said that smart meters and hybrid power are the way forward. “Excess energy from rooftops can come to the grid,” she said while responding to a suggestion from an industrialist in this regard.

She said that alternative energy sources, especially solar power, will be considered in the light of the ban on development works in the Western Ghats, which has the potential for several mini-hydel power projects.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Friday 29 November 2013

The Gujarat State Electricity Corporation has issued a call for 'Expression of Interes' to provide consultancy services for carrying out the feasibility study and preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for setting up of Solar Thermal Plant (of about 50 MW capacity with storage facility so that generation can be made available throughout the day, i.e 24/7.

The tender does not include any preferred technology for the CSP plant project, nor the energy storage technology.

Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Ltd. (GSECL) (Erstwhile Gujarat Electricity Board) is state Power Generating Company in the Gujarat state of India having total installed capacity of 5506 MW.

GSECL is interested to explore the possibilities of installing Solar Thermal Power Plant of about 50 MW Capacity with storage facility so that generation can be made available throughout the day (i.e. 24 hrs) at the Kutch Lignite Thermal Power Station site, the Gandhinagar Thermal Power Station site or any other suitable location within the state of Gujarat.

Wednesday 27 November 2013

NREDCAP popularising ‘green power’ in domestic sector

The New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) is trying to popularise small roof-top solar power systems in the domestic sector by emphasising on the importance of energy savings and recovery of investments.

Through rooftop solar systems, people can tap the solar energy which is available in abundance (for 11 months in a year) and contribute any excess power to the State’s electricity grid.

Awareness is being spread about that and it is yet to catch the fancy of consumers, said NREDCAP District Manager K. Srinivas.

A 3-KW roof-top solar system costs about Rs.1.5 lakh (excluding costs recoverable in the form of Central and State subsidies of Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively) and the intangible benefit it entails in the form of electricity (coal-based) saved is immense.

For instance, a household consuming 500 units of electricity drawn from the grid in a month will be charged Rs.4,500 at the rate of Rs.9 per unit.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Tuesday 26 November 2013

India likely to see 1,750-MW solar capacity addition next year

Indicating better sectoral prospects, India is projected to see a solar power generation capacity addition of 1,750 MW next year, says a report.

Noting that new solar installations so far this year have been around 900 MW, Mercom Capital Group today said that India is not likely to register any significant year-over-year growth for 2013. However, during this period, global solar market is estimated to see 20 per cent growth.

"... our preliminary estimates are tentatively at 1,750 MW of solar installations in India for 2014.

"Although the projected installation growth looks impressive, it includes 420 MW of CSP (Concentrated Solar Power) projects that did not get installed in 2013," Mercom Capital said in a statement.

Going by estimates, the operational capacity, comprising solar photo voltaic and solar thermal, is little over 2,000 MW.

As per Mercom Capital, the domestic solar industry has seen high inflation with about eight per cent increase in module prices.

To boost solar power generation in the country, the government in 2010 had launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission ( JNNSM).

This programme aims to have 20,000 MW of grid-connected solar power by 2022.

India has an overall installed power generation capacity of more than 2,27,000 MW, with renewable sources accounting for over 28,000 MW.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Monday 25 November 2013

Kerala Cabinet approves Solar Energy Policy


The Kerala Cabinet has approved a Solar Energy Policy that seeks to raise installed capacity of the solar sector to 500 MW by 2017 and 1,500 MW by 2030.

The mission is to contribute to long-term energy security of the State well as ecological security by reduction in carbon emissions.


Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told newspersons here that the draft policy had been posted on the website of the Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology.

Comments received from stakeholders, including the general public, have been incorporated to the final document.

Land suitable for development of solar installations in the possession of either Government or private individuals will be identified, as per the original draft.

Such identified lands shall be offered to developers for grid connected solar installations.

Lease rentals fixed by revenue department shall be payable to the land owner. Only lands which do not have an immediate productive use shall be thus identified.

FEED-IN TARIFF

In the case of offsite commercial installations, the State Electricity Regulatory Commission will notify the normative feed-in tariff of solar power for procurement by State power utility.

Feed-in tariff refers to payments made out to ordinary energy users for renewable electricity generated by them.

Net metering shall be applicable for all agencies that consume grid power and have installed solar installations with some form of Government subsidy.

Special feed-in tariff will be made applicable for consumers with monthly consumption of 30 units and below.

For off grid systems, the policy seeks to ensure bank finance at attractive rates and provide generation-based incentives. Existing capital subsidies shall be restructured appropriately.

GENERATION FACILITIES

For grid connected systems, the Government would initiate a programme by which all public buildings are provided with generation facilities using appropriate technology options.

The policy urges all concerned to make use of the rooftop and premises to install solar plants to match maximum demand within a period of two years.

Grid connected systems will be promoted for domestic consumers in a phased manner after formulating grid connection standards for LT distribution.

In this regard cluster-wise installations will be given suitable incentives on a conditional basis for adopting solar installations.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Sunday 24 November 2013

Annual cap on solar power users


Tamil Nadu Electricity Re­g­ulatory Commission (TNERC) has fixed a cap on domestic consumers installing rooftop solar ph­o­tovoltaic systems at 90 per cent of their annual power consumption.

In its order on LT connectivity and net-metering for rooftop solar systems, TNERC said that electricity generated from a solar system and injected into the licensee’s grid should be capped commercially at 90 per cent of the electricity consumption by the eligible consumer at the end of a settlement period and excess energy generated beyond the cap would be treated as lapsed.

This means a domestic consumer would be able to install a rooftop solar system whose generation ca­pacity should not exceed 90 per cent of their annual power consumption. Tho­ugh the commission had proposed a cap of 200 per cent in its draft order, it has brought down the cap to 90 per cent in line with the guidelines issued by the forum of regulators, said a senior Tangedco official.

To ensure grid stability, the commission has fixed a cap on grid penetration for solar PV system. “At the local distribution level connectivity to rooftop so­lar systems should be restricted to 30 per cent of the distribution transformer capacity on the basis of the first come fir­st served,” it said.

An official explained that if a distribution transformer has a capacity of 100 kilowatt, maximum of 30 Kw solar system would be allowed to be installed to ensure grid security issues arising out of possible reverse flow of electricity in the local grids.

TNERC also made installation of a meter measuring solar power optional for those who had availed state’s capital subsidy of Rs 20,000. The bi-directional meter, which records import an export of energy would replace the existing meter. But it said grid interactive PV system with battery backup is not under the purview of it.

Friday 22 November 2013

ANERT to set up 2-MW solar farm in Palakkad



Kerala’s first solar farm on the Mega Watt scale is expected to become operational at Kuzhalmandam in Palakkad district by March next year. The Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT) will implement the project estimated to cost Rs.16 crore.

Utilising crystalline silicon technology, the grid-fed solar power plant of 2 MW capacity will come up on 12 acres of land. Designed in-house by ANERT, it features flat plate collectors and intelligent inverters. Once commissioned, the farm will feed 30 lakh units of power to the grid every year.

Officials said the project was designed to assist in research and development of grid-interactive power plants. The farm would be established as a turnkey project.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Wednesday 20 November 2013

APSPDCL gearing up to implement solar energy net metering

The Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) is gearing up to implement net metering policy. It is about the mechanism of injecting solar power into the grid by rooftop and small photovoltaic plants and arriving at the net value of power.

After the single-phase consumers were also recently allowed by the Energy Department to avail net metering facility, the ball is now in the court of the power distribution companies (Discoms) to encourage and facilitate tapping of solar energy through rooftop plants and small SPV plants .

Only three-phase consumers were till last month permitted to install bi-directional meters which measure the net value of power. But the condition has since been relaxed allowing single-phase consumers with rooftop systems up to 3 KW capacity also to go for net metering.

The onus to motivate consumers to tap solar energy and export any surplus power to the grid now lies on the Discoms and the New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP).

Bi-directional meters

On their part, the Discoms are mandated to certify and inspect the solar rooftop systems along with the metering devices and other paraphernalia at regular intervals while the NREDCAP facilitates payment of subsidy to the consumers registered with it. Installation of high accuracy bi-directional meters which can be tracked on a real-time basis and devices capable of injecting solar power into the grid smoothly without causing fluctuations in the grid frequency are the main things that the APTRANSCO and Discoms have to do.

Disturbances

Disturbances (harmonics) to the grid are common as direct current (solar energy in this case) is converted to alternate current. Insulating the grid from such variations is called ‘island protection’.

The Divisional Engineers (Metering & Protection) play an important role in integrating the solar plants with the grid and they have already been equipped with the necessary skills.

The procedures to be followed in the wake of issuance of the fresh G.O on net metering on October 25 are being circulated to the officers and staff concerned.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Tuesday 19 November 2013

IIT-M working on battery to store solar power

Tasting success in the solar technology, the Ind­ian Institute of Techn­ology (IIT), Madras, will soon come out with a cost-effective battery technology, which could be used to store large quantity of electricity.

Speaking to DC on Satu­rday, IIT-M director Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi said that several faculty at the institute had started their research on optimisation of electricity and appropriate battery technology.

“We are working on lower life cycle cost. We are looking at bulkier, non portable, batteries, which would be used for fixed use. Centre for decentralised photovoltaic systems in our institute is working on how to handle problem of load shedding and harness solar power locally,” he said.Prof. Ramamurthi says that India en­joys solar power for over 300 days in a year from 9 am to 4 pm with variations. Pointing out that the present solar tech had mismatch of production and storage (battery) of electricity, he said that a person had to spend Rs 14 to store one unit of power in the battery.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Wednesday 13 November 2013

India to Invite Bids for 1-Gigawatt Solar Plant by March


Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), India’s largest power-equipment maker, plans to invite bids by March to build a 1-gigawatt solar plant as the government seeks to cut the cost of the technology by promoting large projects.

State-owned Bharat Heavy, leading a six-company joint venture, intends to auction a contract for the design and construction work in the next four months, said Tarun Kapoor, joint secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

India, which suffers from peak-hour power shortages of as much as 25 percent in some states, is starting a program of large-scale renewable projects to diversify its energy mix and reduce a current-account deficit exacerbated by fuel imports.

The country has proposed to build five so-called ultra-mega renewable parks comprising as much as 18 gigawatts in capacity over about 10 years, according to a ministry presentation obtained by Bloomberg News. That would expand India’s installed solar capacity ninefold.

“The main objective is to bring down the price of solar power,” Kapoor said at the Intersolar conference in Mumbai yesterday. “We want to bring it to about 5.5 rupees (8.6 cents) a kilowatt-hour so that it’s competitive with any other source of power.”

Bharat Heavy’s planned tender will award a contract for the first gigawatt of a proposed 4-gigawatt solar park at Sambhar, Rajasthan state. The remaining capacity will later be auctioned in 500-megawatt batches to non-state developers, Kapoor said.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Monday 11 November 2013

New Solar Cell Is More Efficient, Less Costly

American innovators still have some cards to play when it comes to squeezing more efficiency and lower costs out of silicon, the workhorse of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules worldwide.

A recent breakthrough — the product of a partnership between manufacturer TetraSun and the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) — could spark U.S. solar manufacturing when the approach hits the assembly line next year. The innovative design, simple architecture, and elegant process flow for fabricating the cells make the technology a prime candidate for large-scale production.

Solar industry leader First Solar acquired TetraSun in April 2013, about the time R&D Magazine honored TetraSun and NREL with one of its coveted R&D 100 Awards for the year's top innovations.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Sunday 10 November 2013

Solar Energy Corp of India seeks license for power trading from CERC.


Sensing huge potential in Solar powerproduction, the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has applied for license for power trading with Central Electricity Regulatory Commission.

SECI managing director Rajendra Nimje said the PSU is authorised to sell power that will be produced under the proposed 750MW solar power projects under Phase-II Batch-I, recently announced by the Government.

"We see huge potential in Solar power production in the coming years. We have applied for license with the CERC. It is under process and expected to be in final stages within two months," Nimje told PTI.

Nimje was talking on the of a seminar on Solar Water Heating System organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in association with New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) Ltd and the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI).

He said they have invited bid for the second phase of the 750MW Solar power projects and will have a pre-bid meeting on November 19.

The proposed scheme for solar projects would be implemented through the Solar Energy Corporation of India in association with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd.

Electricity generated from these plants would be purchased by Solar Energy Corp at a fixed-level tariff of Rs 5.45 per KWH for a period of 25 years.

The Government has allowed around 1600MW Solar power projects under the first phase under theJawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) which has set a target, amongst others, for deployment of grid connected Solar power capacity of 20,000MW by 2022 to be achieved in three phases.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Thursday 7 November 2013

Solarsis sets up rooftop solar PV unit for IIT-Madras

Solar photovoltaic solutions company Solarsis has installed a rooftop solar photo-voltaic system for IIT-Madras. This system incorporates various technologies in modules and inverters. The solar plant has been installed on top of the 50-year-old Electrical Sciences Block at IIT-Madras that aims to build 1-MW solar unit on top of its existing buildings. 

Venkat Rajaraman, CEO, of the Hyderabad-based Solarsis, in a statement said the structure is designed to withstand high wind zone of the Chennai coastal region. The plant also brings high degree of reliability and protection to enable to smooth interaction with the grid.

“We plan to test smart controller for solar, which is currently being designed by IIT-M, with the rooftop solar plant. Also the elevated structures ensure that we continue to use the roof as before for our regular use,” Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Electrical Engineering Department said. The IIT Madras Solarsis rooftop solar plant is a mix of different types of modules of various capacities. The 90KW plant will generate 1.5 lakh units a year and helps offset 90 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Solar Working Group Releases Standard Contracts

 

A working group representing solar industry stakeholders has developed standard contracts that should help lower transaction costs and make it easier to access low-cost financing for residential and commercial solar power projects.

The Solar Access to Public Capital (SAPC) working group, assembled by the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is a consortium of solar energy developers, law firms, financiers and analysts with expertise in solar energy projects.

The contracts cover residential leases and commercial power purchase agreements (PPAs). The working group members recognized that customizable contract templates could improve consumer transparency, increase private-sector investment, and lower the cost of solar energy to end-users.

"These template contracts should allow national and regional solar developers alike to increase business opportunities and enable the creation of tradable investment vehicles desired by pension funds and other institutional investors critical to scale the industry," NREL Energy Analyst Paul Schwabe said. "This effort is just one of the many ways that the partnerships forged across the SAPC initiative are helping to unleash cost-competitive solar power."

To date, SAPC has developed three standard contract templates:

• Residential Lease – Aggregated (for developers with in-house installation practices)
• Residential Lease – Disaggregated (for developers using installation partners)
• Commercial PPA

NREL initiated the SAPC working group effort in October 2012. Since then, it has grown to include more than 120 member organizations. The working group is also engaged in several activities designed to build investor confidence, including collaborating with rating agencies to evaluate "mock" portfolios of residential and commercial assets, developing best practice guidelines for system installation and operation and maintenance, and developing a system performance dataset. The three-year effort is funded under the Energy Department's Sunshot Initiative.


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Monday 4 November 2013

NanoPV Voltech to set up 75-MW plant near Chennai

NanoPV Voltech Solar Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between US-based NanoPV Solar Inc and the Voltech group of Chennai, expects to open a solar module manufacturing plant near here in December.

The facility, with a capacity to make 75 MW worth of modules a year, is being set up at an investment of Rs 100 crore.

The solar module can be used as a component of a larger photovoltaic system to generate and supply electricity. The Voltech group has nothing to do with Voltec Solar, the Alsace, France-based producer of high quality photovoltaic solar panels.

NanoPV was founded in New Jersey, US, in 2005 by Anna Selvan John, who hails from Chennai. John is also the President and CEO of the Indian joint venture.

The 75MW plant will produce crystalline silicon modules. The company has plans to make solar cells also, John told Business Line on Friday. Modules are made up with cells.

He added NanoPV has developed a hybrid cell technology which can convert 21 per cent of sun’s energy falling on the cells into electricity.

At a later stage, these hybrid cells will be manufactured at the Indian plant.

NanoPV Voltech’s subsidiarieshave won rights to set up two solar power projects—of 10 MW and 14 MW—in Tamil Nadu, through a bidding process of the state utility, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corp Ltd (Tangedco).

The Chairman of the Voltech group, M Umapathi, told reporters here on Friday land for the projects was ready and the company had even organised the necessary “bank guarantee”. “We are waiting for Tangedco to sign the power purchase agreement.”

The 24-MW solar projects will be captive customers for the manufacturing plant. Apart from this, NanoPV Voltech has also won contracts for setting up a a6 MW solar plant from other winners of the Tangedco bid.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Sunday 3 November 2013

New Generation to Build 315 Megawatts Solar in India

A group led by New Generation Power LLC, a U.S. clean energy developer, has signed contracts to build 315 megawatts of solar plants in India.

The group expects to invest $400 million by the end of 2014 to complete installations at various sites across Andhra Pradesh state, Chicago-based New Generation said in a statement. The plants will sell power under 20-year contracts to the local utility.

Mumbai-based Waaree Group and Hyderabad-based Premier Solar Group have been selected as contractors to design and build the plants, according to the statement.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in

Wednesday 30 October 2013

India adds 118 MW of PV capacity in September 2013

India added 111 MW of grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity and 7 MW of off-grid PV in September 2013, according to figures released by the nation's ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

This is a slight decline from the previous month but an improvement on prior months, and brings India to 2.08 GW of grid-tied and 139 MW of off-grid PV. This includes 395 MW of grid-tied and 14 MW of off-grid added from April 1st through September 30th, 2013.

Solar thermal collectors reach a cumulative total of 7.27 million square meters

Additionally, India added 100,000 square meters of solar water heating capacity, to bring the nation to a cumulative total of 7.27 million square meters. 270,000 of this has been added from April 1st through September 30th, 2013.

MNRE has finalized regulations for phase 2 of the nation's National Solar Mission (NSM), however Request for Selection (RfS) documentation has not yet been released as of the writing of this article.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/

Monday 28 October 2013

Solar powered airplane to touch ground in India in 2015

NEW DELHI: The Solar Impulse - a revolutionary solar powered airplane which had completed its first cross-country journey in the USA in July - will make New Delhi and Varanasi its landing and departing destinations during its round the world mission in 2015.


Idea behind this Swiss-made airplane, which had completed its US mission without using a drop of fossil fuel on board, is to demonstrate the capabilities of clean technology and renewable energy.


The move comes at a time when the governments across the world are looking for alternatives of fossil fuel to not only fight the menace of climate change by drastically cutting greenhouse gas emissions but also to pull themselves out of the vicious trap of oil economy.

Gregory Blatt, head of communication of this project, who was in India last week to get various clearances for its New Delhi and Varanasi stopovers, told TOI that the Solar Impulse is a kind of tool to tell the world about power and potential of clean energytechnology.

Blatt said if an airplane could fly for such a long hour without using a drop of fossil fuel, then why can't a car run on solar power for 50 r more miles in one go.

"Solar Impulse is not designed to carry passengers, but to carry a message. If we can do it in the air, we can do it in our daily life using clean technology", he said, explaining how this solar powered scientific marvel serves as "an Ambassador for renewable energy".

The around the world mission flights will take place from beginning of March to end of the summer 2015. Landing and departing destinations are currently being identifiedfinalized in Europe, Gulf countries and China, depending on technical and operational considerations. In India, New Delhi and Varanasi have, however, been finalized for the mission.

Crossing the Pacific is expected to be the most difficult phase of this mission as pilot will have to fly five days non-stop during this leg of the trip.

Solar Impulse - having wingspan of a 747 aircraft, weight of a car and power of a scooter - is constructed in such a way that its thousands of solar panels across its wings can harness power from the sun during the day and its lithium-polymer batteries can store that energy for overnight trips.

Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, co-founders and pilots of the Solar Impulse, who had completed the US mission in July, will fly the airplane in different legs of landingdeparting destinations during the 2015 around the world mission.

Since each pilot will have to fly for four-five days during the circumnavigation of the globe, both of them will have to be trained in such a waycondition that they can fly the plane non-stop for five days.

The Solar Impulse had proved itself for the first time in 2010 when it successfully conducted its first-ever historical 26-hour flight. Subsequently in 2011, its first plane - HB SIA - flew to Brussels under the patronage of the European Union and was also invited as a special featured guest to the Paris-Le Bourget International Airshow.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/

Friday 25 October 2013

Solar power will soon run Gurgaon railway station.


Minister of State for Railways Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary Thursday laid the foundation stone for 25 KW solar power plant here, being undertaken under RITES' CSR and Sustainability Projects.

In a first, the solar power plant will be set up on the platform's roof where the panels will be placed and solar electricity generated, an official said.

Appreciating the efforts of RITES, the minister said of 365 days, India gets full sun for almost 300 days but the vast resource of solar energy potential remains unutilised.

On the development of the railway station, he said Gurgaon is known for its IT hubs, multi-stored shining buildings and railways will spare no efforts in making sure the station matches the rest of the infrastructure.

Chaudhry said by utilizing the platform roof, there is no issue of land acquisition and passengers can also get shelter from rain and sun while aesthetics of the station will improve.

The project, even if small, holds large potential and railways will pursue similar initiatives either under corporate social responsibilities (CSR) of its public sector undertakings or on railways' own initiative.

RITES chairman and managing director Rajeev Mehrotra said this is the first attempt to utilize a platform's attempt for placing panels and generating solar electricity.

"If replicated on a larger scale, it could help in reducing the Indian Railways' carbon footprint and achieving the target of sourcing at least 10 percent of energy from renewable sources like solar power and biomass," he said.

This solar plant is being installed with the assistance of BHEL electronics division, Bangalore and is fully funded by RITES.

The project, costing nearly Rs.60 lakh, will be completed by the end of 2013.

The successful completion of the project will open up new possibilities for these kinds of projects for the railways and RITES.

Thursday 24 October 2013

Govt. plans to set up 4,000 MW of solar thermal capacity in Rajasthan.

Making it the next hub for solar power in the country, government plans t set up 4,000 MV of solar thermal power capacity in Rajasthan. "we have discussed the plant with Rajasthan government and we aim to set up as solar thermal capacity near the Sambhar salt lake in Jaipur," said Farooq Abdullah, union minister for new and renewable energy.

This facility will be largest solar thermal part in the world, "It will be commissioned in phases. The first phase would be of 1,000 MW", said Abdullah, This would be the first such solar thermal power pack in the country.

The only solar park in the country is based in Gujarat with current capacity of 214 mw and is expected to generate 500 mw when fully commissioned in 2014. The park however acomodated only solar photovoltaic facilities.

Rajasthan currently has 660 mw of soalr power generation capacity and 2,700 mw of wind power.

Tuesday 22 October 2013

NREL Brings Precision, Savings to Energy Audits


An energy audit tool that more accurately pinpoints potential energy savings while potentially costing 35% to 75% less than traditional audits is set to hit the multi-billion-dollar energy retrofit industry next year.

The simuwatt Energy Auditor software package was developed by the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in partnership with Denver-based software developer concept3D. simuwatt Energy Auditor replaces the clipboard-and-pencil approach of most building audits with a package that uses sophisticated, comprehensive computer modeling to find more potential energy savings.

The commercial buildings sector in America alone represents 7% of total energy consumption worldwide. Commercial buildings in the United States consume about $134 billion in electricity each year for lights, computers, office machines, appliances, and the like, according to the Energy Department's Buildings Energy Data Book. Even a modest reduction in electricity costs would mean huge savings.

At the individual building scale, a 200,000-square-foot office building that pays $2 per square foot in energy costs annually can save tens of thousands of dollars of net operating income by reducing consumption modestly. And that doesn't include the benefits of reducing greenhouse gases and increasing the comfort level of building inhabitants.

Friday 18 October 2013

New standards for evacuated solar collector tubes for solar thermal collectors in India

The increasing share of Vacuum Tube Collector (VTC) systems imported to India took the Indian government to specify the standard requirements for evacuated solar collector tubes for non-concentrating solar thermal collectors and related storage tanks.
The industry and the manufacturers welcomed the publication of the new standards, released for public debate in early March 2013, as the aim of the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is to keep low-quality systems out of the sector.

“Because vacuum tubes still continue to be imported, there was a need to keep an eye on the quality,” says MNRE’s Joint Secretary, Tarun Kapoor. “This will also increase customer confidence, as systems will perform throughout their lifetime and provide the desired output.”
The MNRE had been working for a long time on devising new standards which now are imposed to manufacturers importing the tubes to show reports of testing laboratories from the country of origin. These reports will be approved by agencies like the Regional Test Center.

The MNRE has released three sets of standards: Evacuated tube standards (MNRE STD 01:2013), Storage tank standards (MNRE STD 02:2013) and System standards (MNRE STD 03:2013).
Storage tanks with a capacity of up to 500 litres can be tested every two years either at an approved laboratory or at the manufacturer’s laboratory. Tests for tank capacities of more than 500 liters are to be carried out as per agreement between the manufacturer and the user. The selective coating of the tube is to have an absorptivity of 0.92 or higher at AM 1.5 and an emissivity of less than 0.07 when tested. A label on each evacuated solar tube, showing the manufacturer’s name or logo, the batch number and the date of production is also required.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Remote hamlets in Karnataka may get solar energy at 90 per cent subsidy

The Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd. (KREDL) is considering the possibility of making solar energy available in remote hamlets at around 90 per cent subsidised rate.

Disclosing this while addressing members of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), KREDL managing director G.V. Balaram said the idea was to get 60 per cent subsidy from the Power Finance Corporation (PFC) in addition to the 30 per cent subsidy from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/news.aspx

Friday 4 October 2013

Panel Mounting

Solar panels are large flat objects that may catch the wind and they are expensive - so they need to be securely fixed. There may be regulations in your area determining how they should be mounted, particularly if on a house roof.

see more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/panelMounting.aspx

Thursday 3 October 2013

Amorphous

Amorphous cells are munufactured by placing a thin film of amorphous (non crystalline) silicon onto a wide choice of surfaces. These are the least effient and least expensive to produce of the three types. Due to the amorphous nature of the thin layer, it is flexible, and if manufactured on a flexible surface, the whole solar panel can be flexible.

One characteristic of amorphous solar cels is that their power output reduces over time, particularly during the first few months, after which time they are basically stable. The quoted output of an amorphous panel should be that produced after this stabalisation.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/panelTypes.aspx

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Polycrystalline (or Multicrystalline) 

Polycrystalline (or Multicrystalline) cells are effectively a slice cut from a block of silicon, consisting of a large number of crystals.
They have a speckled reflective appearance and again you can you see the thickness of the slice. These cells are slightly less efficient and slightly less expensive than monocrystalline cells and again need to be mounted in a rigid frame. 


Monday 30 September 2013



Photovoltaic Panels


Monocrystalline cells are cut from a single crystal of silicon- they are effectively a slice from a crystal. In appearance, it will have a smooth texture and you will be able to see the thickness of the slice.
These are the most efficient and the most expensive to produce. They are also rigid and must be mounted in a rigid frame to protect them.

Sunday 29 September 2013

Solar Panels - Photovoltaic Panels

PV cells are made of silicon, similar to that used in computer "chips". While silicon itself is a very abundant mineral, the manufacture of solar cells (as with computer chips) has to be in a very clean environment. This causes production costs to be high.

A PV cell is constructed from two types of silicon, which when hit by solar energy, produce a voltage difference across them, and, if connected to an electrical circuit, a current will flow.

Photovoltaic cells or panels are only one way of generating electricity from solar energy. They are not the most efficient, but they are the most convenient to use on a small to medium scale.

A number of photovoltaic cells will be connected together in an "Module", and usually encapsulated in glass held a frame which can then be mounted as required. The cells in a module will be wired in series or parallel to produce a specified voltage. What may be referred to as a 12 volt panel may produce around 16 volts in full sun to charge a 12 volt battery.

In most cases, a number of panels (modules) will be connected together to form an "Array". Panels of a similar type may be connected in series to give a higher voltage (two 12 volt panels may be connected in series to produce 24 volts). Usually a number of panels will be connected in parallel to give an increased current.

Thursday 26 September 2013

Tuesday 24 September 2013

SERVICES PROVIDED

  • SPV System design, installation and service.
  • SWHS design, installation and service.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/AboutUs.aspx

Monday 23 September 2013

PRODUCTS DELT

  • Solar Water Heater - Domestic
  • Solar Water Heater - Industrial
  • Solar Collectors
  • Solar Air Heating System - Dryers
  • Solar PV Modules
  • Solar Home Lighting Systems
  • Solar Power Pack
  • Solar Street Lighting System
  • Solar Water Pumping System
  • Solar Fencing
 more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/AboutUs.aspx

Sunday 22 September 2013

Major Plant, Equipment and facilities

Greentek having total production floor area of 80000 Sq Ft at various locations in India.

Greentek having automated manufacturing facility for Tanks fabrication and collectors.

Greentek have a strength of about 90 skilled & technically qualified work force with an installed capacity of 60 Lakh litres of Solar Water Heaters and 15 MW of Solar Modules per annum to support our growth plans.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/AboutUs.aspx

 

Thursday 19 September 2013

Quality Process

We are committed towards our clients by building long term, quality relationships and provide intelligent solutions to water quality issues through technical application assistance, and the sale of superior quality products.

We give utmost importance to quality and it is never taken as chance.

In maintaining the quality, we conduct stringent check at each level of manufacturing and assembling process.

We procure quality water processing machineries and customized it according the requirements of our clients.

Our quality check measures conforms to both Indian and international standards as per BIS (IS:12933) and ISO 9001-2000 quality standards.

The quality aspect is not confined to the products alone but it extends to the entire spectrum of our operations

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/QualityProcess.aspx

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Solar Thermal & Photovoltaic Working Together

Solar Thermal and PV should not be seen as competing technologies or products as they perform different functions and as shown below can be installed together to provide a well balanced solar energy harnessing system. Electricity can be used for almost any application, and so is a universal energy source. Heat is required for hot water and space heating which represent a large % of a household's total energy requirements.

A system that incorporates a solar thermal system with a modest sized PV system is a great option

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/SolarCollection.aspx 

Tuesday 17 September 2013

ST (Solar Thermal)

Solar thermal panels are referred to by a number of different names such as Solar Water Heater,Solar Hot Water Panel, Solar Hot Water Collector,Solar Thermal Panel or Solar Thermal Collector.These terms all describe the same generic device.

Solar water heaters work by absorbing sunlight and converting it into usable heat. A simply analogy is to think about a dark coloured object sitting in the summer sun. Over time it can become very hot from absorbing the sunlight. Solar water heaters work in the same way but using materials that are specially designed to maximise the efficiency of that absorption. High quality absorber coatings, as used by Greentek products, are able to absorb up to 95% of the energy in sunlight throughout the full spectral range (PV only absorbs a portion of the spectrum). Below is an example of a quality absorber from coating manufacturer Tinox that absorbs 95% of available sunlight, and only radiates (emits) about 4% of the absorbed energy as heat. The key areas to look at are the yellow which represents solar radiation and the light blue which is how much of that sunlight is absorbed by the coating.

Solar water heaters, such as the evacuated tube solar collectors by Greentek that use evacuated tube technology, are able to reach a complete solar collector efficiency (not just the absorber)

Solar water heaters can therefore reach efficiencies that are consistently more than 4 times higher than PV panels.

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/SolarCollection.aspx 

Monday 16 September 2013

PV (Photo-Voltaic)


PV converts sunlight into electricity using a semiconductor material (normally silicon). When like strikes the cell a portion is absorbed within the semiconductor material knocking electrons loose and allowing them to flow. This results in an electric current and thus electricity production. PV panels primarily absorb the visible portion of the light spectrum.

PV panels are normally connected to an inverter to convert from DC (Direct current) to AC (Alternating current) and subsequently the electricity is fed into the power grid.

The PV panels may also directly run devices with DC power such as solar powered calculators, or lights.   The DC electricity can also be stored in batteries

Commercially available PV panels are able to convert available sunlight into electricity with optimal conversion efficiency of around 15%, with some panels able to reach as high as 20%.

It is important to note that a panel rated at 200Watts will not consistently provide 200Watts of electricity throughout the day.  The 200Watt rating is based on maximum summer sun radiation level of 1000W/m2( 317.1Btu/ft2) in an ambient temperature of 25oC / 77oF. So on a clear summer day a 200Watt panel can be expected to provide around 0.7 - 0.8kWh of electrical energy

more info @ http://greentekindia.co.in/SolarCollection.aspx

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Solar Photovoltaic

When light energy is absorbed by a material known as a semiconductor, an electrical charge is created, this property of the material is known as the photoelectric effect. Silicon is the most common semiconductor used by PV cell manufacturers.

Stand alone PV systems are not connected to the grid. Stand alone systems are set up so that you use the electricity produced by the PV system directly. In order to take full advantage of the electricity produced, it needs to be stored. For this reason, a standalone system will commonly include battery storage.

more info @ http://www.greentekindia.co.in/

Tuesday 2 July 2013

Solar Thermal

Solar water heaters use the solar energy from the sun to generate heat (not electricity) which can then be used to heat water for showering, space heating, industrial processes or even solar cooling.

Solar energy is the primary energy source for our planet as it is responsible for providing energy for plant growth (Photosynthesis) and providing the warmth that makes our planet habitable.