BUSINESS CONSTRAINTS OF SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS IN INDIA

Solar Energy projects in India face a set of  business constraints which is likely to inhibit the accelerated adoption to Solar Energy.


High Initial Investment  (Nearly 11.66 Crores per MW installed capacity)
Falling per unit cost of procurement by DISCOMS
Falling  Solar panel cost.
Delay in procurement payments by DISCOMs.
Long 20-25 years to recover investment.
Surplus power generating capacity with SEBs leading to lukewarm  response to green energy procurement.

The other contrasting situation in India is nearly 30% of the Indian population do not have access to Electrical energy for meeting their daily use. Either it is total non availability, partial or intermittent power supply or suffers from low -voltage issues.

ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN THE WAY OF SOLAR PROJECTS

  Nearly all the new solar power projects which are recently commissioned or in the process of commissioning  throw up a new set of challenges to the  parties concerned.

  The state EBs (Electricity Boards), which have already concluded power purchase agreement with the Solar power generating companies  face the problem of being locked in with a higher power purchase rate per unit for a long period which may extend from 15 to 25 years, while the newer projects which are coming on stream are offering power at a much cheaper rate per unit of power.

  The issue generally faced by the Solar power generating companies is that the power generated by them is largely supplied to the state EBs who are the primary customers.The EBs them selves are largely in debt and incurring heavy losses due to T & D losses and  power theft. Such being their poor  financial health, they are not able to release regular and timely  payments to the solar power companies. Often the delay in release of payment is six months or more which is causing financial stress in these newly set up companies and impinge on their profitable operation.

NEW PROJECT COMMISSIONED

M/s Tata Power Solar has commissioned a 100 MW solar project for NTPC  in Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh. The project is designed to produce 160 million KWHs  annually.

TECHNOLOGY -1

  Solar panel mounting are basically two types - Fixed panel and moving panel  type which is known as  the solar tracker system.
  In the fixed type, the solar panels are fixed at an optimal angle with respect to the Sun to ensure maximum conversion of solar energy to electrical energy.
   In Solar tracking systems, the solar panels are rotated along an axis to face the Sun at an optimal angle to ensure maximum power conversion. Solar tracking system helps to achieve an energy conversion rate of 35-40% as compared to  20-30 % from fixed panels. Solar tracking systems again classified as single axis and dual axis systems depending on the level of energy conversion efficiency which is planned to be achieved. Dew to rapid technological development it is predicted that Solar tracking systems will cover nearly 50% of the solar PV installations by the year 2021.

MAJOR SOLAR INSTALLATIONS IN INDIA

1. Bhadla Solar Park, Rajasthan   -
    total planned capacity 2255MW,commissioned as on date   115MW.
2. Kamuthi Solar Project,Tamilnad,commissioned  as on date  648MW.
3. Charanka Solar park, Gujarat, etimated capacity, 590MW,
   commissioned as on date                                                      214MW.
4. Sakri Solar Plant, Dhue District, Maharastra                        125MW.
5. Welspun Solar project, Madhya Pradesh,                            151MW.
6. Dhirubhai Ambani Solar Park, near Jaisalmar,Rajasthan,    100MW.
7. Solar Power project, Osmanabad, Maharastra                     100MW.
8. Renew Power, Nisamabad, Telengana                                  143MW.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

   The Ministry for New Renewable Energy (MNRE) has declared that by the year 2022, 50,000 technically qualified individuals will be required in the Solar energy sector to meet the growing demand. The Government has set a target of setting up 100GW solar energy generation capacity by the year 2022.

   UP government has plans to train 25000 individuals in the next 5 years while the Karnataka government is planning for 2500 trained individuals in the same period.

  In this connection the central government has launched the Surya Mitra programme to develop a skilled technical manpower to meet the growing demand. One of the popular training programme is offered which is three month residential programme. The boarding and lodging facility is arranged by the training centre. Normally Diploma /ITI qualified candidates are eligible to apply for this programme.

TRAINING CENTRES -KARNATAKA TRAINING

1.Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Energy and Development (MGIRED)
Srirampura Cross,
Rachenahalli, Jakkuru,
Bengaluru, Karnataka 560064
Phone: 080 2362 6359

2. Nirvana Foundation
No 925, Agb Layout,
Behind Sapthagiri Engineering College,
Hessarghatta Road,
Bengaluru,
Karnataka 560090
Phone: 099165 84184

3 National Training Centre for Solar Technology,(NTCST)
KPCL,  GOK 
22/23, 3rd  Floor, Sudarshana Complex, 
Sheshadri Road,
Bangalore- 560009.
Karnataka State – India
Phone & Fax: 080-22258431
Website : karnatakapower.com
Venue :
Karnataka Power Corporation Limited
DG Plant Premises, S.N.Halli,   
Yelahanka, Doddaballapur Road,         
Bangalore - 560064.   
Phone: 099165 84184
   
   
   

SOURCES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECH 1

  India's current installed power generation capacity is around 330GW, of which coal contributes around 195GW, 27GW comes from gas and oil,hydro electric is 44GW, nuclear is 6.7GW and renewable sources contribute 57GW. Solar energy capacity is 11.4GW and that of wind energy is 34.8GW.

  Renewable Energy - Under this group, broadly the following source of power are included -viz Wind, Solar, Biogas, waste re-cycling generation  and Mini Hydro generation.

  India has set an ambitious  target of adding 175GW of Renewable Energy capacity BY 2022 of which 100GW is the target set for Solar energy.

ENERGY SOURCES

   World energy demand is presently met by energy derived from Oil,Gas,Coal,Nuclear,Hydro and Renewable energy sources. Of these sources, Oil, Gas and Coal are the main source of energy in the world today which is meeting nearly 75% of the total demand. This status will remain so at least for the next 20 years.

INTRODUCTION

  

 This blog is written to give a quick sweeping knowledge of the current development in the Renewable Energy domain. The areas which we shall focus on shall include the latest development in the Solar Energy sector, vital statistics pertaining to this area, development in the Manufacturing and Service Sector, Training and Development and emerging Job Opportunities both at the National and State level. In addition, basic technical input in the Solar Energy domain is covered.