Solar Power for Grid Autonomy

Objective:To design and assist in the implementation of a high quality rooftop solar system that minimizes the client’s dependence on the grid while maximizing the use of solar power.
Background: The client, Solverminds Solutions & Technologies Pvt. Ltd. approached Solar Mango to assist them in identifying a suitable solar solution and finalising a vendor who can provide them with a rooftop solar plant that will suit their requirements in terms of supported load and degree of autonomy.

Location: Sipcot IT Park, Siruseri, Chennai

Capacity: 80 kWp

Scope of Work

1. Understanding the Power Requirements
   • Ascertain the load requirement for the client that need to be satisfied by rooftop solar
   • Ascertain the extent of autonomy required from battery backup

2. Design the Optimum Configuration

• Solar Mango team, with its technical experts, arrived at the optimal architecture for the rooftop solar power plant and the specifications for the same
• This architecture & specs included details on warranties, efficiencies & conformance to benchmark standards for modules, inverters, mounting structures etc.

3. Select solar power system integrators for the required configuration
• Prepare Request for Information to elicit interest and shortlist vendors
• Prepare Request for Quotation for the shortlisted vendors, based on Solvermind’s final requirement for the power plant
• Conduct vendor due diligence

4. Assist Solverminds in finalising the vendor for the rooftop solar solution
• Submit shortlist of quotations with suggested criteria for finalising vendor
• Assist in vendor finalisation

Outcome

• The entire exercise took about 2 months, at the end of which the client had selected a suitable EPC vendor with the required credentials and at an acceptable price.
• The 80 kWp solar system, with a 2 our battery backup, has been successfully operating for over a year.

Sirwar Solar Power Project

Background: A client holding a PPA under the Karnataka Land Owning Farmer’s Scheme, required turnkey assistance for solar PV power plant implementation. The client approached Solar Mango for assistance in the entire process of solar power plant development – from financial modeling until the time the power plant starts exporting power to the grid.

Location: Sirwar, Raichur Dist, Karnataka

Capacity: 2.2 MW DC

Scope of Work

1. EPC Selection
   • Providing intelligence to the client on the types of EPCs available and the pros and cons of each type of EPC
   • Using Solar Mango’s vast network with EPCs, interact with a range of EPCs to select the one that qualifies on all or most parameters
   • Arrive at the best possible cost with the ideal EPC

2. DPR Preparation and assistance in securing bank loan
• Prepare a professional DPR to secure banker’s confidence
• Explore diverse avenues for securing loans by utilizing Solar Mango’s contacts in the banking and finance circles
• Arrive at the best possible financing deal for the client

3. Financial Modeling to Provide Precise Estimates on Costs and Returns
• Detailed cash flow analysis to estimate the project and equity IRRs for the project

4. Additional Services:
• Oversight on component selection
• Hard negotiations with the EPC and solar tracker company to ensure client’s faith in tracker implementation

Outcome

• Direct cost savings up to Rs 40 lakhs/MW due to interest rate cuts and Buyer’s credit
• Assurance of enhanced performance of the power plant by expert hand-holding in component selection

 

 

 

The retail market is a beast.

Don’t get in without understanding the beast well. It could prove very costly.

The offgrid solar market is full of promises, given we are such a large country.

But it has its challenges too, being a large, mostly retail and widely spread out market.

This was why this medium sized corporate wanted EAI to provide them critical market insights before they got into this sector

Market Intelligence for Diversification into Off-Grid Solar Products

The Background –
A major manufacturer and exporter of textile machineries, equipment’s and components was looking forward to diversifying into renewable energy sector and wanted to target the off-grid solar market. In this context, the client approached EAI to undertake an exhaustive study that would focus on providing insightful information about the current and future scenario of the off-grid solar industry in India.
Scope of Work done

1. Off-grid renewable energy in India – An overview
2. Solar off-grid applications and products – Various products and solutions available in the solar off grid space
3. Product manufacturing – Manufacturing processes, options for entry into manufacturing, associated risk and other aspects were covered
4. Product value chains – Complete value chain analysis of each of the products was done and business opportunities in the value chain were identified and suggested
5. Government initiatives and support measures – Various government initiatives and support programs available to off-grid applications and key benefits from the programs
6. Market entry strategy – A market entry strategy and suggested avenues for entry

The Outcome
A list of major products that make commercial and economic sense and are in line with the already established expertise of the clients was proposed.
 

$300 Million Bad Investment Avoided is $300 Million Saved

This was what a prominent multinational company realised. Their ambition was to become a large, integrated solar manufacturing player with a global leadership. But the solar manufacturing sector is a minefield, really, and highly competitive. While it might be profitable for businesses to invest in niche areas, becoming a global leader in integrated solar PV value chain is a tremendously challenging task, where companies might have to risk upwards of a billion dollars..

EAI was able to clearly point out to the company the challenges to their aspirations and pitfalls in their strategy.

Partly owing to the insights provided by us, the company decided not to go ahead with the huge investment they were planning in solar manufacturing.

In our opinion, they saved quite a packet. Somewhere around $300 million if you wish to know the numbers.

Solar PV Diversification Strategy for an Indian Multinational

• EAI provided strategic consulting to a leading company in India to help them diversify into the solar module manufacturing market with a view to attain global leadership positions in 5-7 years.
• EAI’s extensive research helped the company decide on the type of module to be manufactured (i.e. crystalline or thin film) by highlighting the strengths and potential pitfalls/risks associated with each technology.
• The report included a view of the various characters of each segment of the value chain with extensive analysis of the global leaders in the solar energy market.
• EAI developed detailed financial models that outlined the costs involved in the manufacture of ingots, wafers, solar cells and modules.

 

A Global Multinational Aspires for a Green Factory

Here’s a multinational company that aspired to go green for its greenfield manufacturing facility in Madurai. The aspiration was not just renewable power, but also sustainable heating and cooling, to make the facility a model green factory.

EAI is proud to have assisted this firm in getting a high clarity on the technical and economic feasibility of each of the sustainable energy avenues.

Renewable Energy For A Manufacturing Facility

The Background
A multi-billion dollar consumer goods company was setting up a green-field manufacturing facility in India and wanted to incorporate as many aspects of renewable energy as possible, provided that certain techno-economic conditions were fulfilled.
The Solution
Six technologies and four methods of access were considered for two different forms of energy.

 

EAI performed a pre-feasibility and feasibility of the myriad combinations of technologies and business models, found vendors offering such solutions, performed a basic vendor due diligence, invited offers and provided inputs to the client on the same. EAI was also able to provide the client design considerations for seamlessly incorporating renewable energy technologies into their energy mix.

The Outcome

The manufacturing facility will incorporate wind (replacing grid power), solar PV (replacing diesel power) and solar thermal (replacing furnace oil) into its energy mix at extremely cost-competitive rates (favourable as compared to conventional energy) saving millions of kilograms of carbon-dioxide emissions and crores of rupees, yearly, in energy bills.