Recently, a WTO ruling on solar went against India, in the context of “discriminatory trade practices”. The case was filed by the US against India. I am sure there are lots of Indians having a knee-jerk reaction to this adverse ruling –…
What is the right solar tariff for India – 4.78, 4.63 or 4.34?
After an avalanche of low solar tariffs ending with a super low solar tariff of Rs 4.34/kWh in the latest reverse biddings held in Nov ’15 and Jan ’16, the market suddenly seems to be retracting. The recent lowest discovered tariff…
Karnataka Farmer’s Solar Scheme – Solar Mango Assistance in Financing Avenues for Farmers & Investors
The Karnataka farmer’s scheme, which was launched in 2015, has been one of the most attractive schemes. It provides Rs 8.4/kWh as the tariff, one of the highest in the country, and farmers holding land in Karnataka could bid for upto 3…
Don’t be Lakh Wise, Crore Foolish – Solar Mango’s Request to Solar Power Plant Developers
OK, so you already know the stuff that’s presented above. You have already read or heard about the fact that there are EPCs, and there are EPCs. Given that it is well known that there are a number of rather average…
Azure Bags 150 MW Solar Allotment at Rs 5.12/kWh with DCR
And here comes the news that Azure has bagged a 150 MW solar power plant from NTPC in AP, at Rs 5.12/kWh. (#Update based on a comment to this post – Azure = 100 MW, the rest 50 MW has been bagged by…
Choosing the Right Panels and Inveters for Your MW Scale Power Plant
All right. So you have obtained that much coveted PPA. You have navigated the stormy, choppy financial waters and convinced your bank to give you a loan at a good rate. Why, you have even figured out from where to get your equity…
Dos and Donts for Indian MW Solar Power Plant Developers
There are three main categories of solar power plant developers in India: Super duper companies such as Sun Edison, Welspun Energy etc that are both large and financially well-heeled, as well have real professional expertise in putting up solar power plants, both large and small Small-medium…
Softbank Too Bids at Rs 4.63/kWh for 350 MW Solar – An Analysis of the Magic Number 4.63
All right, so a few weeks back, we were all circumspect when Sun Edison bid at Rs 4.63/kWh for 350 MW solar power plant in Andhra Pradesh under the National Solar Mission. How could this be? – we asked among ourselves. Perhaps Sun Edison…
Timelines of a MW Solar Project Installation in India
One prominent distinction between solar power plants and many other conventional power plants, especially thermal or nuclear power plants, is the amount of time it takes to instal the power plant. While conventional power plants could take a few years from concept/design to commissioning, solar power plants, even those that are reasonably large…
Getting a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for Solar Power Plants in India
Ask anyone who is looking at putting up a MW-scale solar power plant as to what the most important part of a solar power plant is, and he will tell you that it is that of getting the PPA. So, what indeed is a PPA and why is…