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“Engie Is The World’s Largest Independent Power Producer (IPP), With More Than 100 Gw In Operation Globally”

By
Varun Gulati
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Engie’s presence in India has been around for over two decades, how has the experience been?

Engie is the world’s largest Independent Power Producer (IPP), with more than 100 GW in operation globally. This includes power generation from all sources like natural gas, hydro, wind, solar, nuclear, coal, biomass & biogas, etc. Engie has a worldwide strategy to promote Low Carbon energy and gradually phase out of activities with the highest levels of CO2 emissions such as coal fired power production. Engie has identified India as a potential country that can contribute in accomplishing its ambition to be a world leader in the transition to zero-carbon emission. Engie Group also provides governments, communities, cities and businesses with efficient and innovative solutions based on its expertise in four key sectors: independent power development, renewable energy, liquefied natural gas and energy efficiency services. ENGIE employs 155,000 people worldwide and is present in 70 countries across 5 continents.

ENGIE has been present in India since more than 20 years, carrying out service activities such as engineering and renewable energy generation. Its total generation capacity now stands at 1.5 GW+, which includes 1GW+ of Solar and 482 MW of Wind. Engie group employs around 1,000 people in India, including power generation development that commenced in 2014, as well as in energy and engineering services, which existed since about two decades.

Engie’s 101MWp solar plant in UP was inaugurated by India’s Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and French President Mr. Emmanuel Macron.

Engie’s experience in India has been encouraging despite challenges encountered by the renewable industry in general. The major challenges faced generally have been around land acquisition, inter-coordination between various governmental agencies, evacuation approvals, etc.

Where do you see the Solar Energy industry in India poised for the next 10 years? What are your growth plans for the Indian market?

With the government initiatives enforced across the country, India is poised to grow rapidly in achieving the target of 175GW of renewable energy by 2022. India has a large potential for renewable energy and the government has set up massive goals for solar power generation.

In the next 10 years, India is set to be one of the largest solar power producers with the generation being used across industries, agriculture, homes, etc. Considering this huge potential, Engie has ambitious plans for India and would aim to be one of the key players in the solar and wind industry in India, as long as the policies and initiatives by the Indian government remain supportive.

India is now producing the world’s cheapest solar power, what are your views on the same?

Healthy competition leads to the growth of the industry. India is an extremely competitive market, and this factor has been the key in shaping the economics of the sector. As long as the pricing in the renewable market can produce power efficiently, without compromising on the quality of the plants, it will continue to be adopted by the industry. We also believe that there should be enforcement of minimum specifications in order to ensure that quality is not comprised while trying to be competitive.

The path forward is to be competitive by using new and innovative technologies to build high-efficiency power plants. Hybrid power plants, battery storage, floating solar plants, etc. are some of the high potential markets in the immediate future. LCOE would be a crucial factor for driving hybrid tenders either with Solar PV + Storage or Solar PV + Wind or all three PV + Wind + Storage together, where PLF can be maximized with optimum capex and opex.

What are your views on the Government policies? Do you think they have brought about the intended benefits?

The Government’s targets are quite ambitious. It has set a target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by the year 2022, which includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from bio-power and 5 GW from small hydropower. This has given impetus for the renewable energy sector to grow rapidly.

In order to achieve this target, various policies and initiatives to promote investment in this market have been introduced. One amongst some of the encouraging policies, is that the Union power ministry has made it mandatory for DISCOMs to open and maintain letters of credit (LCs). This will prove to be a reassuring payment-security mechanism under power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed with generation companies. Another motivating initiative of the government is the recent 20-40 per cent financial subsidy for new residential rooftop solar installations. This will significantly accelerate the pace of such roof-top installations. But what we would really like to see is the alignment of various policies between different Departments of the Government like PGCIL, CEA, SECI and State Agencies, which can smoothen the implementation of projects and can invite more investments into the country.

Technology is moving forward all the time, is there anything that you’re looking forward to seeing happen in the next few years?

Technological innovations and developments are the only way forward for a sustainable market. In the solar industry, various breakthroughs have been achieved to increase the Wp rating and efficiency of the PV modules. There have also been developments in the Inverters, leading to higher power and voltage ratings, higher DC overloading, string inverters suitable for large PV plants, etc. Developments in the tracking technology & robotic dry module cleaning systems, have also been promising. Various innovations are ongoing in the areas of Floating solar, Hybrid and Battery storage projects. Apart from lithium ion batteries, there are many other technologies where experiments are being conducted in the laboratories and expected to hit the commercial market soon. Engie has around 1000 researchers in the world with various labs, with a dedicated lab for lithium ion batteries. Hydrogen as a means of storage is also being studied.

To Improve the grid stability, there has been a lot of emphasis on forecasting & scheduling of the renewable power. Many Innovative solutions for the same are now available in the market and further improvements on many aspects are ongoing.

All these advances are promising as they will lead to improvement in project economies.

Key Parameters Contributing Gain in Bifacial PV Systems

By
Parleen Kaur
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The yield gain over conventional monofacial modules is mainly determined by the conversion efficiency for solar irradiance incident on the rear side of a bifacial PV module, and the amount and quality of solar irradiance incident on the rear side. Bifacial modules allow a unique vertical mounting configuration. Various studies indicate that vertically installed bifacial PV modules in higher latitude locations produce energy which is comparable to monofacial modules installed at conventional latitude tilt, and significantly higher than that of vertically mounted monofacial modules.

Below are the major key parameters that contribute to the gain in bifacial PV system:

Albedo is the measure of solar irradiance incident on the rear side. It is defined as the ratio of irradiance reflected to the irradiance received by a surface. Albedo depends on soil surface colour & texture. This require proper soil condition study for its optical properties for uniform gain throughout the year. Hence soil preparation activity is very important for getting maximum gain from bifacial modules. The whiter & smoother is the surface the better is the albedo resulting in higher bifacial gain. It can also vary with seasons like for winter with white snow it is about 90%, for spring with green grass it is around 25%, summer with dry grass accounts to 33% and fall with humid soil gives nearly 15% of gain, hence making snow the best and volcanic rock the worst case for albedo.

Height is another key factor taken into consideration while designing the bifacial modules. Bifacial performance is increased by increasing the height of the installation thereby reducing the shadow intensity projection. According to our study, at the height 0.5m, 0.8m and 1.2m gain obtained is approximately -3%, 5% and 8% respectively, but this gain is limited to certain height. Increasing the height beyond certain height the saturation will set in the gain.

Pitch also plays a vital role in contributing the energy gain. Greater is the pitch, more is the reflected area resulting lower Ground Coverage Ratio (GCR) thus giving higher bifacial energy gain. However, increasing the pitch is not a feasible option as it comes along with issues of land constraints and increasing the total cost of the project. The cost of bifacial modules is about 8% higher over conventional monofacial modules with an advantage of 5-10% gain.

According to bifacial module market share forecast, its deployment is about to be 3% by end of 2018 and the market aims to rise sharply, reaching 40% by 2025. We at Mahindra will be deploying 10-20MW of Bifacial modules by first quarter of 2019 and shall be sharing more insights on Bifacial modules post installation in our upcoming article release.

Credits: Mahindra Susten

Solis Launches Utility Inverter Solution at Solar Power International

By
Varun Gulati
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Ginlong Technologies, a global leader in photovoltaic string inverter manufacturing, expands its Solis portfolio with a new utility-scale solution for the U.S. solar market. The Solis 125kW 1500V three-phase string inverter will make its debut at the Solar Power International exhibit Sept. 23 through 26 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Ground-based PV Plant of solis

According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s recent Solar Module and Inverter Bankability report, Solis earned third place among Asian inverter brands out of a total of 17 global inverter manufacturers. Banks are more willing to offer non-recourse loans to PV projects using Solis inverters, helping developers secure financing.

PV asset owners are increasingly turning to string inverter technologies for utility-scale projects. Delivering substantial energy harvest advantages, the Solis 125kW solution combines high power density and light weight to streamline installation. Furthermore, Ginlong’s integrated utility solution includes a dedicated U.S.-based service team to guarantee hassle free O&M.

“Solis continuously sets new standards in string inverter reliability,” says Gary Lam, Head of Utility Business at Ginlong Solis USA. “High system reliability means ultra-low maintenance costs for our customers, boosting returns over the life of their assets.”

DNV-GL validation testing puts Solis at the very top of the performance range for three-phase string inverters. DNV-GL notes “the inverter life models presented are positively impacted by the long and impressive track record of PV inverters designed and manufactured by Ginlong. The useful life projections are at or near the top of the string inverter life projections.”

Designed for higher energy yield, the Solis 125kW offers unique advantages including:
● 33% higher DC string voltage than 1000V systems, resulting in higher energy density and lower installation costs
● 99.1% maximum efficiency — one of the highest in the market
● 20 DC inputs results in DC to AC ratios up to 150% for greater energy generation during lower irradiance conditions
● Optional AC combiner connects two-125kW units into a 250K system, substantially reducing AC cable costs

The Solis 125 kW features built-in string monitoring, which measures all string parameters for quick fault isolation and system commissioning. An integrated smart I/V curve scanning feature helps detect such string faults as panel mismatch and shading, decreasing O&M time and increasing system energy yield. DC fuses on both positive and negative inputs protect the inverter and DC cables, while built-in replicable DC and AC Type II surge protection devices (SPD) safeguard during power surges, further ensuring system availability. Lastly, Type I SPD protection is also available to shield against damage from frequent surges and lightning strikes.

Solis ranked Top 3 among Asian brands

By
Varun Gulati
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Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) recently released its Solar Module & Inverter Bankability 2019 report. For the first time, the company made investigations into solar inverters, surveying the bankability of several inverter brands.

BloombergNEF's inverter bankability survey results

‘Bankability’ means banks are more willing to offer non-recourse loans to photovoltaic power generation projects that opt to use a particular inverter brand.

Solis’ inverters ranked third for Asian brands: a testament to the brand’s products being well-recognised by global technical experts and respondents. This incredible result also means project developers are more likely to receive bank financing if they use Solis’ products over those of other brands.

With a team of experts spread across six continents, BNEF analyses complex data from around the globe to procure in-depth forecasts which highlight the financial, economic and political implications of industry-transforming trends and technologies.

For this survey, BNEF sought information from banks, developers and technical due diligence firms about which brands, out of 48 module manufacturers and 17 inverter manufacturers, they considered to be bankable.

Interestingly, regional differences are far starker when considering the bankability of inverters compared to modules. Unlike panels, inverters are less of a commodity as modules have only one function — producing energy — while inverters have multiple purposes. Aside from converting direct current into alternating current, inverters interact directly with the grid and aggregate power output data. As such, there are different types of inverters for different project requirements (for example, some projects require central inverters while string inverters are more suitable for others).

Helios Completes First Solar Energy Asset Portfolio

By
Editorial Desk
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Helios Infrastructure fund projects produce enough power for nearly 4,000 homes

Today, Sol Systems announced that Helios Infrastructure fund, its joint venture with Nationwide, has completed the financing and construction of its first solar portfolio. The entire portfolio is now in service and includes eight projects in North Carolina totaling 48.4 MW, which is enough to power 3,890 homes per year.

These projects are part of a larger 135 MW acquisition announced last September that is currently under development. The acquisition itself is part of a broader set of portfolios the infrastructure fund plans to develop.

Launched in February 2018, Helios invests in utility-scale solar energy assets throughout the United States, combining tax-efficient sponsor capital, highly sophisticated financial structuring and environmental and electricity commodity expertise. Helios works closely with developers throughout the United States to co-develop, finance, and construct early-stage solar portfolios.

“This is a key first step in our efforts to develop a multi-state solar infrastructure portfolio,” said Jessie Robbins, Senior Director of Structured Finance at Sol Systems. “This portfolio was delivered on time and on budget, despite the inevitable challenges along the way. We greatly appreciate our finance and development partners, who worked collaboratively with us to navigate a complex portfolio in an ever-changing market.”

“Live Oak Bank is dedicated to lending to projects that bring jobs, economic benefits and low cost renewable energy generation to America’s rural communities,” said Jennifer Williams, SVP of Renewable Energy at the bank, “and we are excited to be part of this innovative portfolio with Sol Systems, Nationwide, Seminole Financial Services, Cypress Creek Renewables, and U.S. Bank.”

Seminole Financial Services was the construction lender for the projects, U.S. Bank was the tax equity provider, and Live Oak Bank was the permanent lender for the portfolio. Cypress Creek developed and built the eight projects and will provide operations and maintenance support going forward.

“U.S. Bank has a long relationship with Sol Systems and we are excited to partner with Helios on this first portfolio,” said Jon Peeples, vice president with U.S. Bank and business development officer with the U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corp. “Environmental stewardship is important to us and these projects are a great addition to our growing solar portfolio around the United States.”

These solar developments represent a $74.1 million capital investment into rural North Carolina communities. Nearly 400 jobs were created throughout project construction, including 70 local jobs.

JinkoSolar Joins the RE100 and EP100 Green Initiatives

By
Varun Gulati
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JinkoSolar, one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world, today announced that it has committed to the RE100 and EP100 initiatives. These global campaigns are led by The Climate Group, an international non-profit organization working closely with powerful business networks and governments to bring innovative solutions to scale.

The RE100 initiative brings together the world’s most influential companies committed to 100% renewable power. To reach this global climate goal and drive a low carbon economy, each company has committed to source 100% of the electricity used across their global operations from renewable sources. The EP100 initiative brings together a growing group of energy-smart companies committed to doing more with less

As part of the pledge, JinkoSolar will power all of its solar plants and global operations with 100% renewable power by 2025. By 2030, the Company will deploy an energy management system across its operations and improve its energy productivity by 30% when compared to 2016. To work towards these goals, JinkoSolar has also signed up for the EP100 Cooling Challenge to increase the energy efficiency of its cooling operations.

Mr. Kangping Chen, Chief Executive Officer of JinkoSolar, commented, “We care about long-term sustainability just as much as we care about the quality of our products. We continuously encourage our suppliers to source renewable electricity and support green practices. As one of the leading companies in the renewable energy sector, it is important to be responsible role models for a sustainable future. The core of our business is to be green and we are thrilled to be the first global solar manufacturer becoming a member of the RE100 and EP100 initiatives.”

Yuming Hui, China Director, The Climate Group, said, “It’s fantastic to see JinkoSolar leading by example on cleaner, smarter energy use and investing in solar power and energy efficient cooling. By joining RE100 and EP100, JinkoSolar is putting itself on the map in a busy week for global climate action and demonstrating what can be done. The private sector has a vital role to play in accelerating China’s clean economy, and we hope many more companies will follow suit.

Ampt Achieves Rapid Adoption in Large-Scale Solar+Storage Projects Totaling 1 GWh

By
Varun Gulati
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0
Representational image. Credit: Canva

Ampt LLC, the world’s #1 DC optimizer company for large-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems, today reported the rapid adoption of their String Optimizer products in large-scale PV solar+storage projects totaling one gigawatt-hour (GWh). Ampt String Optimizers are DC/DC converters that uniquely deliver higher performing solar+storage systems that cost less than solutions without Ampt.

Ampt attributes this recent series of projects to the adaptive technology in its String Optimizers which delivers value in a wide range of system sizes and storage applications. These projects combine solar PV with DC-coupled energy storage. The mix of projects include several PV systems ranging from 50 to 100 megawatts (MW), multiple projects between 10 and 30MW, and numerous 10MW and under projects. The PV-to-battery-to-inverter ratio on these systems range up to 2:1:1 with two- to five-hour charge durations being most common. Project locations in the U.S. include California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.

Today’s announced project momentum follows another milestone reported earlier this year. In January, Ampt String Optimizers were deployed on a record-breaking PV peaker power plant that has 28MW of solar PV and 100 megawatt-hours (MWh) of DC-coupled energy storage.

“These projects are a testament to the industry’s recognition of the value that both Ampt optimizers and DC-coupled energy storage bring to solar,” said Darryl Parker, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Ampt.

Including energy storage allows PV systems to provide energy on demand and supports grid stability. DC-coupled energy storage systems charge batteries directly from the DC solar array to achieve a lower cost per megawatt-hour compared to AC-coupled approaches.

“Innovations in energy storage are driving its rapid growth in large-scale PV systems around the world and Ampt’s technology is an example of what can be done to improve economics,” said Levent Gun, CEO of Ampt. “We look forward to continuing to build strong relationships with our partners and customers to increase global renewable energy capacity.”

Ampt String Optimizers harmonize the operation of the PV array and power components with a fixed and high DC bus voltage. This lowers the cost of both the DC/DC battery converters and DC/AC inverters while reducing the amount of wire and other BOS components. Performing string-level maximum power point tracking (MPPT) captures energy from variable module degradation and other sources of mismatch to increase lifetime system performance. This unique feature set delivers lower cost systems that perform better.

Additionally, Ampt optimizers use wireless communications to provide high-accuracy synchronous string-level data to enhance operations and maintenance (O&M) effectiveness.

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