Sanaya Energy LLP

The customs duty, which add up to 10% of Solar Panels cost, would NOT be scrapped altogether as confirmed after a meeting between MNRE and the finance secretary ( refer ) . This would mean that the presumptions, about decreasing price of solar, of many developers may not come true, based on which they may have quoted to their clients or PPAs signed. However, those developers who have won auctions expecting the customs duty would be ‘protected’. That does not necessarily mean that the exemptions would be provided to them. It may be given in another form too which has not been specified. Of course, this would be for projects that have already been won and not the ones that follow. What we can expect is the tariff of INR 2.44 to be a minimum point for solar tariffs, which would rise going further (at least for a while). On the positive side, an increase in solar panel prices imported from outside India would make the Indian panels at par with foreign ones possibly

The 100 GW by 2022 target has created an urgency driving up the solar capacity of the country. Besides highlighting India’s step to curb carbon emissions in the UN, this move towards green energy shift has also given India the opportunity to bridge its continuously increasing gap between energy generation and demand. India’s electricity consumption per capita has reached to 1010 kWh in 2015. And with booming population, (1,326,801,576 in 2016) the power demand is expected to rise significantly in 2017. In this scenario, trusting green energy rather than limited reserves of fossil fuel can help develop India into an energy rich country. However, regardless of the environmental benefits, solar has to match the pricing structure of conventional energy to win the race, encouraging common man to opt for green energy. Grid Parity: Current Scenario

Greater manufacturing capacity and efficiencies hold the key to India’s growth and success in becoming the global leader. And recent initiatives by Government testify the country’s intent on claiming the mantle of the fastest growing manufacturing hub in the world. However, prioritizing the fastest growing manufacturing sector within the country (which is solar sector) and focusing on its growth (through domestic manufacturing) can help India reach great heights. Present Status of Manufacturing Sector in India Indian manufacturing sector has shown incredible growth in recent years. In the last 4-5 years India has executed nearly half of the 37 reforms, that were adopted in 2003. From facilitating the delays in getting construction permits, simplifying finance acquisition, registration of property, paying taxes, protecting minority investors, developing skill through training, resolving insolvency, and enforcing contracts; Government of India has acted aggressively on

Features of the Goa Solar Policy: Catagory of consumers P rosumer: Consumer  who has connected load with the Goa Electricity Department (GED) & is also a producer of solar energy.  As per the solar policy, prosumers are of following types: Small Prosumer:   These consumers have LT Connection with a maximum load of 100 KW. They can install a solar project capacity of 100 KW or up to their connected load whichever is lower. These consumers can install their solar plant either through gross-meter connection or net-meter. Large Prosumer:  These consumers have HT connection and load between 100 kW-2000 kW. They can set their solar plants only through net-meter. The solar policy in their case does not allow gross-meter. Producer:  Entity intending to set up a Solar Power plant with a capacity of more than 100kW exclusively for sale of power to the Distribution Licensee under gross metering as per the tariff discovered by Reverse Bidding. Producers

-reverse auction for grid connected wind project of 500 MW in Gujarat which took place on 21 December 2017 saw the tariffs dipping to a historically low value of Rs 2.44/kWh. This is lower than the price determined in the second auction for SECI’s 1 GW wind capacity by Rs 0.21/kWh. The lowest tariff was quoted by Sprng Energy Pvt Ltd and K.P. Energy Ltd for capacities of 197.5 MW and 30 MW respectively.  Following graph depicts the trends followed by wind tariff in this year:

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), in order to fulfill its target of installing 175 GW renewable energy in the country by 2022, is planning to award 100 GW of solar and wind contracts by March 2020. Solar power shall form 75 GW of the total awarded power in the country.  To achieve 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022, the state and central ministries shall work together to lay bids for ground-mounted solar parks for 20 GW. Following is the plan suggested by the MNRE for solar capacity addition: The Government plans to complete the bid process by March 2020 to give the developers time to build these projects. The MNRE also plans to set up solar projects for farmers. Such projects would involve setting up of small solar plants on fallow land and solarizing water pumps. There have been talks about setting up 20 GW solar manufacturing capacity, 5-10 GW floating solar power projects and 10 GW hybrid solar-wind power systems.