India

India set a new record for monthly renewable energy installations by deploying 7.1 GW of capacity in March 2024. The monthly renewables additions included more than 6.2 GW of solar.

Baud Resources, a clean-tech startup, has developed a gravity energy storage mechanism that uses locally available materials such as sand and industrial waste as its payload. The company is building a 100 MWh pilot plant that will reportedly offer a levelized cost of storage of around INR 2.5 ($0.03)/kWh.

The Indian authorities say the nation’s latest 10 GWh tender was oversubscribed. It attracted seven bidders, including ACME Cleantech Solutions, Reliance Industries, and Waaree Energies.

Solargis says that Indian solar operators have experienced below-average PV panel performance due to air pollution in each of the past five winters. Northern India experienced the worst air quality in decades this January, with data showing a 30% to 50% dip in solar irradiance due to high aerosol levels.

Indian scientists have designed a water-pump drive system that is powered exclusively by photovoltaics. The proposed system configuration reportedly ensures effective use of both the solar modules and the motor.

Premier Energies has filed draft papers with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for an initial public offering (IPO). The company says it will partly use the proceeds to fund 4 GW of tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell and module production.

ReNew Energy Global and Japan’s Jera have teamed up to develop a green ammonia project in the Indian state of Odisha. It will have an annual production capacity of around 100,000 tons by 2030, with Jera serving as the offtaker.

Avaada Energy has won NTPC’s 250 MW solar-wind hybrid tender with a winning bid of $0.042/kWh. The project must be connected to India’s Inter State Transmission System (ISTS).

India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has released draft guidelines for the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana scheme, which aims to install rooftop solar plants in 10 million households, with subsidy support from the central government.

Researchers in India have simulated a 4 kW solar power-based hybrid electric vehicle (EV) charging station using a three-stage charging strategy and found that the station is capable of charging 10–12 EVs with 48 V 30 Ah lithium-ion batteries.