An 8 MW solar park in Nepal will contribute to a stable electricity supply and benefit a school through a lease agreement. The installers are using the latest technology from inverter manufacturer KACO new energy as well as the German company’s system design expertise – and were delighted to win the Solar Shark Tank Competition.
The Nepalese government has taken up the cause of expanding grid-connected solar projects. The goal is a better electricity supply, from which the country's economic development should benefit. As part of the initiative, a solar park with an output of 8 MW is planned for the city of Bhrikuti and its neighboring villages in the south-western lowlands of Nepal.
Project developer First Solar Developers Nepal chose Solar Solutions Pvt. Ltd as EPC [engineering, procurement and construction] contractor.
Economical inverters in a turnkey system
The inverter technology that feeds the solar power into the grid comes from German company KACO new energy GmbH.
First Solar Developers Nepal has ordered the CPSS system solution, featuring string inverters, DC combiners and a steel container with AC low-voltage distribution, medium-voltage transformer and switchgear are delivered, turnkey, from a single source.
“The chosen inverter is the blueplanet 125 TL3, in which we use innovative silicon carbide semiconductors,” said Ronak Shah, technical sales manager at KACO new energy. “The thermal properties of the material have clear advantages. Fewer components allow a compact, resistant device and higher switching frequencies ensure high performance with a previously unattained degree of efficiency.”
Raj Kumar Thapa, managing director of Solar Solutions Pvt. Ltd, said: “KACO new energy supported us in all technical issues, such as performing various simulations, selecting the cables, designing the earthing system and finding the appropriate PV monitoring system.”
Award-winning overall concept
In addition to the professional technical execution – to ensure the economic efficiency of the project – social aspects were included. The ground on which the solar park will be built is leased from a school. In this way, the project has a double benefit: The income will benefit the school and the region will receive a sustainable, reliable electricity supply.
Based on these cornerstones, First Solar Developers Nepal applied for the Solar Shark Tank Competition 2018. The competition was aimed at local project developers seeking a solid financial basis for their solar projects. Among 41 applications from 24 countries, the jury selected the Bhrikuti Grid Tied Solar Project in February 2018 as the winner, entitling the project to a grant of $100,000. The goddess of frowning, after whom the city of Bhrikuti is named, certainly had a smile on her face that day.
