Off-grid renewable energy storage market to be worth Rs16,500 crore

Off-grid renewable energy storage market to be worth Rs16,500 crore

New Delhi: The energy storage market for off-grid renewable energy in India will be worth Rs16,500 crore by 2022, Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) said.

In an analysis released on Friday, the climate think-tank said rooftop solar alone will make up 80% of this, touching Rs13,000 crore. It stated that the battery market in India for renewable applications has been growing steadily with increasing renewable penetration across different segments.

“The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s target to install 10,000 micro-grid/500 MW of micro and mini-grids will offer an additional opportunity to the tune of Rs3,300 crore for battery manufacturers. Batteries are a critical component of micro/mini-grid systems, since 100% backup is often required to supply electricity to rural households during evening hours,” said the analysis.

The analysis also highlighted key challenges for battery manufacturers like high-technology costs and uncertainty around performance in Indian climatic conditions.

“While the need for managing intermittency of renewable energy is often highlighted, flexibility in our generation resources is desirable. This can come from various sources and energy storage technologies are just one among them. Though a number of projects for grid-connected storage are being called for, the markets that are served poorly by the existing grid—mobile towers in remote locations, petrol pumps, ATMs are easy pickings for storage systems to cater,” said Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW.

It emphasised that advanced battery technologies could support rapid deployment of rooftop solar installations in the commercial and industrial segment.

“Currently, the higher cost of energy storage solutions limits rooftop solar system installation to cater to base load. Solar PV systems with energy storage could be a potential replacement to existing diesel generators and it would also save about Rs4-5 per unit of electricity, compared to diesel, for industrial and commercial consumers,” the analysis added.

In June 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led National Democratic Alliance government increased its solar power target from 20,000 MW to 1,00,000 MW by 2022. The total renewable power target set by government by 2022 is 175,000 MW.

Of the 100,000 MW solar power, 40 GW is targeted from rooftop solar alone. But progress has been very slow. As per a recent report, India’s total installed rooftop solar capacity is estimated at only 1,247 MW (till 31 December 2016) which is about 3% of the targeted 40 GW by 2022.

Storage is one of the problem areas in developing the renewable market.

The report further said that, “Though the solar segment offers a huge market opportunity for advanced battery technologies, manufacturers (and researchers alike) have some ground to cover in addressing technical limitations of batteries such as charging characteristics of a battery, thermal performance and requirement of boost current to charge deep cycle batteries”.

“Also, since solar companies directly procure batteries from manufacturers and require after sale services and technical support, battery companies should have wider presence to address these expectations,” it added.

Off-grid renewable energy storage market to be worth Rs16,500 crore

Solar off grid systems are smart way to power all Kenyans

Solar off grid systems are smart way to power all Kenyans

Solar off grid systems are smart way to power all Kenyans

Kenya’s rate of electrification is one of the fastest in the world. It is part of an audacious plan by the Government to provide universal access to energy by 2020 in the context of Vision 2030.

Much has been said about the Last Mile Connectivity Programme. But I believe Kenya will achieve its electrification goals in the two-and-a-half years remaining, if smart, scale-up strategies are employed.

The Sh16.4 billion allocation to renewables in the last Government budget shows Kenya is light years (pun intended) ahead of most of its peers in Africa in its thinking about our energy challenges. The Government is willing to explore innovative ways to achieve results and allocate the necessary resources. 

Innovation and Government support has created the next big homegrown success story – a pioneering mix of solar energy, technology and financial services. This is pay-as-you-go off-grid solar. This sector is providing the broader energy industry with a number of lessons on how to scale up rapidly. 

I saw this for myself in a recent visit to a family in Kwale. Full disclosure here: I was there in my role as chairman of M-Kopa, the company that introduced pay-as-you-go solar home systems to the world. 

My first lesson was that, any power provider – both on and off grid – needs to create a massively simple and transparent proposition for Kenyans and they will take embrace it wholeheartedly. 

Power is still a big cost for all Kenyan homes and businesses. In a way, we have learnt to accept and plan for that. But when money is tight, it is hard to accept the uncertainty and fluctuations in the pricing proposition and supply. 

It is just as important that the proposition is actually tailored to an individual’s real needs. Is it worth the State and its agencies deploying resources to connect a pre-paid meter with 30 units, if those are not going to be used within 12 or even 24 months after the initial units run out?

There are other options for Kenyan consumers and other priorities for investment in our power value chain, including improved transmission.

That brings me to my second takeout from Kwale. The whole industry needs to be thinking about value-added products and services for their customers.

In the off-grid power sector, TV, smartphone, radio and more are being bundled into power connections. That is immediately meeting the short and medium term needs for millions of Kenyans who have been excluded from using these items due to cost and geography.

A power meter on its own is useless. It is important that customers have the right equipment to safely utilise the power and they know how to get the most out of their power spend.

Kenya Association of Manufacturers and KPLC are doing a great job with large power users on energy efficiency. I look forward to similar initiatives flowing down to the small-scale pre-paid users.

My third and final takeout from Kwale was that data is king. Increasing numbers of off-grid systems are following M-Kopa’s lead and embedding Sim cards into their systems.

This means that the providers are able to build a real understanding of when, how and where power is being utilised.

A company such as M-Kopa takes over three million data readings per day from its systems. This means that they can quickly and easily pick up anomalies in a system’s performance. And they are able to track exactly where a system is being used at any time.

For off-grid power providers, that data is being used to develop a pipeline of smart systems and appliances. For KPLC, this would be a huge step forward in the fight against tampering and theft.

Having an effective power grid is absolutely critical for us to achieve Vision 2030. As a country we have revolutionised both the mobile and the off grid pay-as-you-go sectors. I hope we can come together to apply our experiences on 

More info:Solar off grid systems are smart way to power all Kenyans

Solar pump sets to bail out villagers from water crisis

Solar pump sets to bail out villagers from water crisis

Solar pump sets to bail out villagers from water crisis

Several remote villages in the district are facing acute drinking water shortage during the summer. To overcome water crisis, the Rural Water Supply (RWS) officials are fixing solar powered pump sets to the hand pumps for filling a 5,000 litre capacity synthetic tank. These motors can also run on conventional power.

 The tanks are set up at a height of 6 meters so that people can draw the water. Under the new scheme launched by the central government, the state was sanctioned 857 solar pump sets in which 50 units worth Rs 2.4 crore have been allocated to the Kadapa district. 

According to the RWS officials, arrangements are being made to ensure that water is not wasted. There will be a sensor in the tank and once it gets filled, the motor gets switched off automatically. “The objective is not only to provide drinking water to the people in remote villages but also do it in a smart way.

 Thus, the defunct hand pumps across the district will get revived once the solar pump sets are fixed,” a RWS official said. “It is a revolutionary step that will supply water, prevent wastage, save energy and harness solar power. Measures are on to implement this scheme across the district very soon,” said RWS Superintending Engineer Sanjeeva Rao.

More info:Solar pump sets to bail out villagers from water crisis

Solar water pumps gain popularity in remote villages

Solar water pumps gain popularity in remote villages

Solar water pumps gain popularity in remote villages

JAIPUR Water pumps run on solar energy are increasingly becoming popular among farmers in the remote corners of Rajasthan, where electricity supply is erratic.

The development aims to benefit both the farmers and the government in more ways than one. While the farmers will no longer have to depend on the erratic power supply, the discoms (power distribution companies) can also breathe easy as cases of power theft and non-payment of bills will automatically go down.

“Farmers are increasingly showing interest in installing solar pumps. The number of farmers who installed the pumps have risen nearly threefold this year as compared to last year despite reduction in subsidy,” horticulture department director V P Singh said.

They get a subsidy of 60% from the government, of which 30% comes from Union government and the rest is borne by the state government. The popularity of the solar power pumps shows that the government move to reduce subsidy from 66% to 60% failed to make a cut with the villagers.

The state government has installed 28,493 solar power pumps in Rajasthan in the last seven years. Of that 4,252 pumps have been installed in Bikaner, followed by 3,683 in Jaipur.

Solar pump is also cost effective. A 3hp (horsepower) diesel pump consumes 2.5 litres diesel in one hour and farmers run it for about eight hours. Officials said that farmers are also getting better prices for their produce. Earlier, they had to promise their harvest upfront to pay for the fuel, sometimes even agreeing to low prices for their crops.

One negative aspect, however, is tendency of farmers to waste water as the cost of pumping the water is free. Officials said that the government is promoting drip irrigation to curb wastage of water.

Solar water pumps come with a capacity of 1 to 5 hp and cost anything between Rs 1,00,000 and Rs5,00,000, including installation and maintenance for the first five years.

The state government has set a target of installing 10,000 solar pumps in 2017-18.

More info: Solar water pumps gain popularity in remote villages

26KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

26KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

System Power:26KW

Location:Hainan,China

26KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

26KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

26KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

26KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

26KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

26KW Solar Powered Water Pumping System in Hainan

We are together

We are together

In Mar. 2017, The President of SPI group Mr. Peng Xiaofeng, the Chairman of Melodious International Investment Group Mr. Joe He went to Sri Lanka with us to investigate the market and investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. 

More info:We are together

The Chinese Commercial Counsellor in Bangladesh received MNE delegation group cordially

The Chinese Commercial Counsellor in Bangladesh received MNE delegation group cordially

On 12 Mar., 2017, the delegation group of MNE went to Bangladesh to investigate market, and was received cordially by the Chinese Commercial Counsellor in Bangladesh. They had a deep communication about current situation and future investment opportunities of solar applications in Bangladesh.  

The Chinese Commercial Counsellor in Bangladesh received MNE delegation group cordially

The Chinese Commercial Counsellor in Bangladesh received MNE delegation group cordially