The Punjab government on Tuesday invited bids for setting up 300 MW solar power projects at various locations in the state.
A pre-bid conference in this regard will held tomorrow, a spokesperson of the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) said, adding the projects for 300 MW photovoltaic (MWp) power would be set up under build-own-operate (BOO) basis.
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The Andhra Pradesh state government has announced tariff-based bidding for 1 GW of projects and has released a list of power sub-stations which can host renewable electricity. The maximum capacity of the sub-stations varies from 5 to 20 MW, and will determine the maximum size of any schemes nearby, with the minimum project size set at 1 MW.
Developers, who have to identify a suitable location and arrange permitting, will bid for the tariff they will receive with the lowest price at which a sufficient number of bidders can compete being the agreed price.
Read more here.
Arizona’s underground water is half as salty as seawater, and a study found that it contains dangerous levels of uranium and arsenic.
The Bureau of Reclamation and engineers at the University of Arizona think they have come up with a way to help, by building a self-sufficient, solar-powered desalination plant.
Construction began in mid-August. On completion in 2013, it will produce close to 4000 litres of clean water a day, he says. With sufficient funding, the facility could be the first of a series across the reservation. That could halve the cost of hauling water.
Wendell Ela, the project’s lead engineer, has been testing prototypes for the past year in Tucson. He says the process uses electricity from solar panels to pump contaminated water up from the aquifer and boil it.
The steam then passes through a series of membranes that filter out salt and other contaminants. As it cools, the difference in vapour pressure it creates draws more hot water vapour through the system. Purified water is then collected in an external condenser.
Although commercial desalination plants have been used in the Middle East and Australia since the early 1990s, they rely on reverse osmosis or multistage distillation – processes that are technically challenging and expensive to maintain.
By contrast, the team’s membrane desalination system is ideal for an isolated population that does not have access to an electrical grid, Ela says. It is built using simple, low-tech, off-the-shelf components. The team is aiming to build a system lasting 30 to 40 years that would require only periodic maintenance. “We had to design the system to be within the capacity and budget of the water-users,” he says.
The impact on Navajo life would be profound. If the other planned desalination plants are built in the reservation, they could provide running water to tens of thousands of Navajo who have never had it.
Reference: New Scientist
Tamil Nadu solar policy aims to achieve 3GW by 2015
3% solar RPO requirement till December 2013
6% solar RPO requirement from 2014
RPO to be applicable to:
1. Special Economic Zones (SEZs)
2. Industries guaranteed with 24/7 power supply
3. IT Parks,Telecom Towers
4. All Colleges & Residential Schools
5. Buildings with a built up area of 20,000 sq.m. or more
This mechanism will require generation of 1000 MW by 2015.
The 3000 MW of Solar Power will be achieved through Utility Scale Projects, Rooftops and under REC mechanism as follows:
Utility Scale (MW) Solar Roof Tops (MW) REC (MW) Total(MW) (a)
(b)
(c)
(a)+(b)+ (C) 2013 750 100 150 1000 2014 550 125 325 1000 2015 200 125 675 1000 Total 1500 350 1150 3000
GBI for domestic rooftop consumers:
All domestic consumers will be encouraged to put up roof-top solar installations. A generation based incentive (GBI) of Rs 2 per unit for first two years,Re 1per unit for next two years,and Re 0.5 per unit for subsequent 2 years will be provided for all solar or solar-wind hybrid rooftops being installed before 31March,2014. A capacity addition of 50 MW is targeted under this scheme.
Consumers desirous of availing GBIs I hall necessarily install separate meters to measure rooftop generation.
Development of solar parks
Utility scale solar parks may comprise 250 MW in sizes of 1 to 5 MW, 600 MW in sizes of 5 to 10 MW and 650 MW of sizes above 10 MW. Solar Power projects will be developed through competitive/reverse bidding. Solar Parks with a capacity of about 50 MW each will be targeted in 24 districts.
Competitive bidding
Investments through Joint Ventures by State Public Sector Undertakings will also be encouraged at competitive tariffs.
Guaranteed single window clearance in 30 days
Various statutory clearances that are essential for the development and commissioning of Solar Energy Projects will be handled by TEDA in co-ordination with the concerned departments/agencies. Guaranteed single window clearance will be provided through TEDA in 30 days so that the plants can be commissioned in less than 12 months.
Net metering
Net metering will be allowed (at multiple voltage levels) to promote rooftop penetration.
Net metering facility will be extended to Solar power systems installed in commercial establishments and individual homes connected to the electrical grid to feed excess power back to the grid with “power credits” accruing to the Photovoltaic energy producer.
Projects to evacuate power at suitable voltages as suggested below:
Solar PV System Size
Grid Connected
<10kWp 240V 10kWp to <15kWp 240V / 415V 15kWp to <5OKWp 415V 5OkWp to <100kWp 415V > 100kWp 11Kv
Wheeling and banking charges
The wheeling and banking charges for wheeling of power generated from the Solar Power Projects, to the desired locations for captive use/third party sale within the State will be as per the orders of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission.
Download the Tamil Nadu 2012 solar policy document at:
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