Amorphous Silicon PV modules opens-up new possibilities for solar power generation

By blogjakson
, Published On: February 11, 2019

A photovoltaic cell, which specifically converts sunlight into electrical energy, is one of the most promising technologies towards achieving global renewable energy goals. Crystalline silicon solar cells have become mainstream because of their higher conversion efficiency, yet they are restricted to their massive size and higher cost of production. However, in the last few years, there has been new innovations in this sector giving rise to silicon thin-film materials which is extremely encouraging because of their accessibility, light weight, lower cost, and less demanding manufacture technique. Amorphous silicon (a-Si) is the non-crystalline form of silicon. It is primarily used as semiconductor…

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Will Micro Grids Shape the Future of Indian Power Landscape?

By Manaaf Riza
, Published On: December 26, 2018

India has witnessed tremendous progress in the power infrastructure since the dawn of independence. Complete electrification of Indian households, a distant dream for rural citizens, just a decade ago is turning into a reality to be fulfilled in the near future. Promising schemes of the Government of India coupled with concentrated efforts of state agencies and private developers are major drivers, propelling the power industry and consequently creating enormous opportunities for the growth of industrial sectors. Though, ambitious projects have been envisaged by the government, there remain challenges with regards to infrastructure development and last mile connectivity, which have to…

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Delhi’s Perennial Winter Smog – Causes and Possible Solutions

By Sandeep Bhattacharjee
, Published On: December 15, 2018

Every winter, India’s national capital grabs newspaper headlines across the globe for an unpleasant phenomenon. As mercury starts dipping, Delhi along with its neighbouring suburbs of Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Faridabad, together termed as the National Capital Region (NCR) gets engulfed in a thick blanket of hazardous smog for the 10-12 weeks putting the health of its residents at severe risk from various respiratory disorders. This unpleasant situation during has earned the city the epithet of the ‘most polluted city in the world’. Every year, hospitals in the region register an instant spike in the number of patients with respiratory…

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Top 5 Developments of Indian Solar Industry in 2018

By Sandeep Bhattacharjee
, Published On: December 13, 2018

2018 was a mixed year for the Solar Industry in India. Although the nation achieved 6.6 GW of new solar installations across the country, industry analysts pointed to a deceleration in the pace of growth in the sector. While the government is making all efforts to achieve its ambitious target of 100 GW installed solar capacity by 2022 and is confident of achieving this target. While there is no question on the intent of the government, statistics and figures show otherwise. So what were the top developments in the sector in the year 2018? As we inch closer to the…

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Electric Vehicles are set to conquer the highways of the future

By Ashad Mofiz
, Published On: December 11, 2018

Passenger vehicles are a major pollution contributor, producing significant amounts of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and other pollution. Studies have shown that vehicular transportation contributed more than half of the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, and almost a quarter of the hydrocarbons emitted into the air worldwide. The health risks of air pollution are extremely serious. Poor air quality increases respiratory ailments like asthma and bronchitis, heightens the risk of life-threatening conditions like cancer, and burdens our lives with substantial medical costs. Particulate matter is singlehandedly responsible for thousands of premature deaths each year. Why Electric Vehicles The EV market…

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PERC Technology in Solar Modules explained

By Ashad Mofiz
, Published On: December 11, 2018

The solar PV Module industry has been dominated by one primary solar cell and module technology for more many years now – Aluminum Back Surface Field (“Al-BSF”). However, this technology is near its practical limit and further gains in efficiency are unlikely. The search for continued efficiency improvements has led the industry to adopt Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (“PERC”) solar cells. PERC cells enabled access to module with higher power ratings of up to 370 W for a 72-cell module and power ratings could cross 400 Wp in the near future. Undoubtedly, there has been a lot of excitement…

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Half Cut Solar Cell Modules – The next big thing in PV module technology

By Sandeep Bhattacharjee
, Published On: November 5, 2018
solar modules

Solar cell technology has come a long way since the development of the first solar cell in 1888 by Aleksandr Stoletov. While the contribution of Stoletov to PV module technology cannot be denied, his solar cells with efficiencies of less than 1%, could hardly produce enough energy for any meaningful usage. The credit for breakthrough in this area solar cells was achieved by Bell Labs in the year 1954 that produced solar cells with efficiencies of upto 6% and were used for high-tech applications by leading research institutions. Over the next few decades, solar cell and module technology underwent remarkable…

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Rural Electrification in India – Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities

By Sandeep Bhattacharjee
, Published On: August 25, 2018
rural electrification in india

April 28, 2018 will remain etched in India’s history for a landmark achievement. Almost 72 years after achieving independence from colonial rule, the country achieved another historic moment – that of energy independence – with every village in the country getting electrified. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi announced this remarkable accomplishment using his official twitter handle, shortly after the last un-electrified village in the country located in a remote corner of the Indian state of Manipur was officially connected to the electricity grid. It is by no means a simple feat for a country that just…

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Floating Solar Power Plants – A promising technology that needs time to evolve

By Sandeep Bhattacharjee
, Published On: August 18, 2018
floating solar power plant

The Government of India recently announced an ambitious plan to develop 10 GW Gigawatt (GW) of floating solar capacity in the country over the next three years till 2020-21. Soon after, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), India’s central public sector undertaking responsible for implementing renewable energy schemes in the country floated an expression of interest (EoI) from project developers to develop 10 GW of floating solar capacity. The objective of this EOI was to understand the feasibility of developing large scale floating solar PV capacities across the country. While the industry has praised the intent of the government…

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BIPV to act as a substantial enabler to adoption of solar energy

By Ashad Mofiz
, Published On: August 17, 2018
solar installations

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are photovoltaic materials that are used to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building such as the roof, skylights, or facades to generate electricity out of sunlight. In addition to power generation, BIPV retains properties of conventional building materials like insulation, heat absorption and cooling qualities. As solar energy moves into the mainstream, there has been a noticeable shift form perceiving solar as primarily a retrofit option to a building’s energy profile. With majority of new building construction today being designed with sustainable energy footprint in mind, BIPV systems offer an ideal solution. BIPV…

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