Installed around 10Mwp of rooftop systems across India and another 13Mwp of projects are under execution says Shriprakash Rai, Head - Rooftop Solar,
Hero Future Energies
What are your views on rooftop solar scenario in India?
Decentralized power generation or rooftop solar is generation of power at consumption point. There is no need for any transmission network as power is being consumed at the generation point. The beauty of rooftop systems can be reemphasized by the fact that 1Kwh power generated at the load center can save generation of 1.5Kw by power plant which is far-off and require transmission network. One of the major challenges which Indian government is facing in the current scenario is evacuation of power generated by renewable energy plants. For this they require to revamp existing transmission network and ramp up new transmission lines which are quite expensive and time consuming.
With focus on solar rooftops and support from storage technology, this problem can be resolved to a much greater extent. It can actually take most of the houses/ commercial/industrial units off-grid as they will generate their own power.
As far as the current status of grid connected solar rooftop is concerned, data shared by MNRE conveys that solar rooftop in India has technical potential of 352 GW, economic potential of 210GW and technical potential of 124GW. So the target set by government for 40,000Mwp for solar rooftop by 2022 seems to be well in range as far as technical potential is concerned. Going by the actual figures, till Dec 2015, 360Mwp of grid connected rooftop projects have been sanctioned by government under various schemes and around 40-50Mwp of those are commissioned.
The key drivers for rooftop solar market in India are likely to be:
•Well defined regulatory framework
v Feed in Tariff
v Model/Draft PPA
v Solar RPO by states
•Well defined policy framework
v
Announcement of policy /scheme by government/nodal agencies
• Inclining consumer tariff
•Accelerated Depreciation benefit under section 22
•Non availability of sufficient electricity to meet Solar RPO
• Optimal utilization of available roof
In order to achieve the set rooftop target, government needs to come up with number of mega programmes like the one recently announced by SECI for 500Mwp (but with more inclusions). There should a maximum of 2 to 3 central nodal agencies for conducting tenders for all government departments, so that channel partners/ companies can focus more on implementing projects.
What are your future plans for rooftop solar? What are the innovations coming in the industry to make roof top solar panels lighter in weight?
Since the inception of the company, Hero Future Energies (HFE) had a dedicated rooftop team to focus on business development and execution. As of now we have installed around 10Mwp of rooftop systems across India and another 13Mwp of projects are under execution. We are geared up to become 100Mwp rooftop brand by end of FY20. In the current scenario, we offer solutions for all types of roofs including RCC, industrial sheds (standing seam/trapezoidal), car ramps, inverted truss, and super structure. We have also designed structures for special space frame and results were favorable. The major focus of our rooftop solutions have been on structure design, since we offer every possible customization to our clients. One of our strengths include our experienced in-house design team.
Regarding weight of solar panel is concerned in the current scenario for industrial shed weight of module mounting structure is in the range of 17 to 18 kg per sqmtr and for RCC roof it is in range of 45 to 50 Kg/ sqmtr. Normal industrial sheds can bear load in the range of 75 to 85Kg/sqmtr whereas RCC roof can bear 250 to 260Kg/sqmtr.
How much MWs roof top solar projects have been commissioned by Hero Future Energies so far? What are the upcoming roof top solar projects?
We have commissioned around 10Mwp of rooftop systems across India and another 13 Mwp is under execution. Some of the upcoming key projects include 4Mwp rooftop project for Kochi Metro, 2Mwp for one the automobile giants in Delhi and another 3.5 MWp for CPWD buildings across India under SECI programme. By the end of FY 16-17, we will have a cumulative installed base of around 50Mwp projects in rooftop solar alone.
What are the solutions that you offer for installing rooftop solar panels on roofs with different slope pitch?
We offer customized solutions for every type of roofs. For industrial sheds having trapezoidal type of sheets, we have trapeze bridge type of solutions; for standing seam roofs, we have non penetrating type of clamps; for east-west facing roofs we have elevated type of structures for optimizing maximum generation and for cemented sheets, we offer full rail support structure. Presently we are installing panels on curved industrial sheds with penetrating type of solution for one of our clients based at Manesar. We have also developed mounting solution for Space frame structures and installed the same at National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), GwalPahari.
How do you see the India rooftop solar market expanding in the near future? What are the various technology innovations and trends in this segment?
Rooftop market in India is on the verge of explosion. It has successfully transitioned from ‘proof of concept phase” which is initial/experimental phase, where systems are installed mainly for demonstration purpose and to show that it is technically and financially feasible. All implementation related issues have been deliberated and policies and regulations have been framed to overcome the teething issues.
It is now in “Market transformation phase” where we have clearer policies, regulations, various working models and clear cut capacity targets. It is the most important phase as it will set platform for future expansion and will decide whether India will be able to achieve the ambitious 40,000Mwp target.
In another two years or so it will enter into “Mature self-replication phase”, where it will be self-sustainable, requires no support. Regulators will be there only to frame rules and overlook the market.
Apart from normal development in the module efficiency, inverter technology, I see a major breakthrough change in storage technology. It will certainly change the overall decentralized system market in India.
India has committed that 40% of its total power capacity by 2030 will be based on renewable sources. Do you think the government has over committed and if no then what would be the way forward in terms of policies and reforms?
It is certainly an ambitious target, but at least going by the current momentum, India is on the right track towards achieving it. Government should continue its focus on improving DISCOM health, enforcement of RPOs, and encourage giants like railways, defence and port authorities to adopt renewable energy, proactively. Both private and industrial and commercial segments have to play a vital role to help government in achieving its target. There should be special incentive schemes for those who are fulfilling 40% of their power requirements using renewable sources within set timelines. It will encourage healthy competition. Hassle free net metering scheme for residential systems will encourage faster adoption of solar by individual households.
