2019 | Solar Power Is India’s Green Future

In 2018, the solar power industry saw a 24% increase in its y-o-y capacity additions, while hydropower saw 2% and wind energy saw a 10% increase. Although a majority of the solar capacity additions were dominated by Asia, new markets like Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Spain and Latin America saw considerable growth.

The remarkable upsurge in private participation in the power sector in India and the government’s thrust on renewable energy is in sync with the country’s solar overdrive in pursuit of the 100-GW target for solar projects, there are impeding issues like tender cancellations of mega projects. China’s policy shift, feed-in-tariff cut in Japan, and policies levying of taxes and duties on solar energy industry in India limited solar sector growth in 2018, but the solar sector is expected to bounce back in 2019.

With the tender process picking up pace in FY 2019-20, we have a lot to look forward to this year. Pursuing a 40-GW target, the government is also all set to give a big push to the rooftop segment through favorable policies like net metering.

Solar Power is India’s Green Future as it presents a great opportunity to phase out fossil fuel and its growing expenses while transforming the country with industrial, social, and economic growth. The future of solar energy in India largely depends on achieving the ambitious solar power generation target of 100 GW by 2022. With the cumulative solar capacity going up to 36.36 GW, as on June 30, 2019, the market sentiment is upbeat because of the record number of installations.

We believe that by 2030, India’s solar industry is poised to grow phenomenally. The country will need $250bn in green energy funds from 2023 to 2030. Investment opportunity for over $30bn per year is expected to come up in the next decade, according to the Economic Survey.

Significantly, India is running the world’s largest renewable energy programme. Solar power generation holds the key to the unprecedented growth India needs to register to get to the magic figure of 100 GW. Fuelling the ever-growing needs of practically all the other key sectors, the power sector forms the backbone of our rapidly expanding economy. Since sustainability is at the heart of all development efforts directed towards building a New India, the country is aiming at increasing the share of renewables in the total installed power capacity to 50% by 2030 with a major chunk coming from solar energy. This is in tune with another dimension of Vision 2030 which foresees India as a pollution-free nation with green environs and blue skies. Renewable sources in general and solar power in particular can make all the difference here as a major source of energy supply.

It is pertinent to mention here that about 40 per cent of the power capacity installed in India this year is solar. All-out efforts at transforming the energy mix are under way. In the Indian solar market, almost every passing tender has promised to deliver cheaper electricity. The solar industry is entering a period of cost efficiency, thanks to advances in technology and competitive bidding. Solar power tariffs in India have plunged to a record low of Rs 2.44 per unit, which will push demand in a big way.

The solar industry has witnessed rapid growth in the last few years and is expected to grow even more in coming years. To encourage the shift from environmentally detrimental sources of energy to cleaner alternatives, the government has been playing an active role by introducing several incentives, such as GBIs, capital and interest subsidies, which are likely to reduce the dependency on conventional energy and increase adoption of solar power.

These measures involve setting up several small solar projects on barren land and introducing solar water pumps.

To further encourage the adoption of solar power, a slew of welcome initiatives has been recently introduced by the government, which have been welcomed across the industry. This includes the imposition of BIS standards on solar imports, besides ensuring adherence to the quality of products instead of mere price benefits. Another welcome step in the concept notes released by the MNRE proposes the development of 10 GW of manufacturing capacity over a period of five years, which focuses on both polysilicon and wafer manufacturing to create integrated silica-to-modules packages and intermediate standalone packages or combinations.

One of the biggest advantages of solar power is the ability to avoid the politics and price volatility that is increasingly characterising fossil fuel markets. While the prices of fossil fuels have increased, the per watt price of solar energy production has more than halved in the past few years and is set to become even cheaper in the near future as better technology and economies of scale come into effect.  The first benefit of using solar panels to generate electricity is that they do not produce any environmentally detrimental greenhouse gases.

Renewables account for a sizeable share of the power capacity additions, highlighting the significant investment flowing into the solar sector in particular. No wonder, India has emerged as the third largest solar market globally. But we still have a long way to go to become a global solar superpower like China and US.

To achieve the target, India needs heavy investment in coming years. A major part of it has to be raised within the country, as the renewable sector could so far only attract a foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $7.5 billion in the last 18 years (2000-2018), according to a report by the India Brand Equity Foundation.

The solar sector can accelerate its growth by focusing on manufacturing and supporting domestic solar panel manufacturing industry with sizeable investments. This will help India scale greater heights like China, which penetrated foreign markets by undercutting their market prices. By working overtime on its solar panel manufacturing capacity, China was able to support its own solarisation, ring in revenues from exports and create jobs. India needs to follow a similar roadmap.

We need to pick up on the domestic manufacturing front. Various efforts by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to attract bids for the development of the inter-state transmission system for solar power evacuation have gone in vain. Solar power generation has to be in sync with the growth in transmission capacities owing to evacuation challenges, otherwise we may be in for a slowdown.

Though rooftop solar is the fastest growing renewable energy segment in India, the installation capacities must rapidly increase if the nation is to meet its ambitious renewable energy target by 2022. Conducive policies, financial support and consumer awareness should form our focus of attention.

Around 70 per cent of the market growth in rooftop solar is driven by commercial and industrial consumers. The residential segment is lagging owing to lack of policy initiatives. The 20-40 per cent financial subsidy for new residential rooftop solar installations should accelerate the pace of growth. But India needs a more comprehensive approach in order to achieve the 2022 target. 

The industry needs to be steered in the right direction to take us closer to the 100-GW goal. We need integrated energy planning, favorable policies and investments across the value chain. Release of RTC tenders and incentives for OA charges are critical. RTC supply is one alternative to ensure predictability in supply, thereby ensuring grid stability and offtake guarantee by discoms under all circumstances.

While on one hand we need to promote solar projects based on domestic manufacturing capacities to make ourselves self-sufficient, the Central and state governments should take care not to put the auction process on hold in the expectation of a further drop in prices. We also direly need a universal anti-dumping policy and incentives to instill confidence in Indian companies. Investing in domestic manufacturing can help build the supply chain, control prices and earn foreign exchange through exports. It will also create jobs, enhance the country’s GDP and correct the adverse balance of payments.

India should leverage its position in the 121-nation International Solar Alliance by assuming a leadership role to make way for greater growth through favorable policies and coordinated efforts. As a global solar superpower in the making, we ought to wrest this initiative. With a proactive approach driven by all these factors, India’s solar Power will usher a green and sustainable future.

Nov 2019 | Hartek Solar executes 80-kWp Rooftop Solar Project at Harike gurdwara

Ø Installed on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the plant will generate 1.31 lakh units of clean electricity every year, thus offsetting 103.28 Tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions
Ø Executed by Hartek Solar in a record time of 28 days, this plant uses monocrystalline modules based on state-of-the-art PERC technology for maximum efficiency

Amritsar, November 12, 2019: Hartek Solar Pvt Ltd, the rooftop solar division of the Chandigarh-based Hartek Group, has installed an 80-kWp solar PV project at Gurdwara Ishardham Nanaksar in Harike Pattan on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

The 80-kWp rooftop solar plant will generate 1.31 lakh units of clean electricity every year, thus offsetting 103.28 Tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and meeting several day-to-day electricity requirements of the gurdwara, which caters to thousands of devotees throughout the year. Executed in a record time of just 28 days, this rooftop solar plant uses monocrystalline modules based on state-of-the-art Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell (PERC) technology for maximum efficiency and other technologically advanced features. The PERC technology generates more electricity owing to its higher light absorption and internal reflectivity. While the front surface in PERC cells absorbs sunlight, the rear surface layered by a dielectric passivation film absorbs the scattered or reflected light. The greater flexibility of PERC modules provides end users with more tilt and placement options, leading to optimisation of space and electricity generation. The higher energy density, on the other hand, translates into lower levelized energy costs and lower payback periods.

Hartek Solar has also equipped the 80-kWp solar plant, attached to 20-KW inverters to ensure a 1:1 system design, with a unique remote sensing technology which can be linked to Wi-Fi or GPRS SIM card to get alerts on cleaning and maintenance as well as real-time data on energy generation and savings. The scope of work of the project included installation of solar panels, supply, design and engineering.

Complimenting the gurdwara management for contributing to the environmental cause by opting for clean energy, Hartek Solar Director Simarpreet Singh said, “It is heartening that such initiatives by religious places and social organisations are encouraging more and more institutions to opt for solar power. Committed to taking up the fight against climate change by contributing to the larger cause of building sustainable energy infrastructure on every roof, we believe in giving back to the society through our rooftop solar installations.”

Hartek Solar is among the leading rooftop solar installers in India. The company had recently installed 10-kWp solar plants at Gurdwara Nada Sahib, Panchkula and Jyoti Sarup Kanya Asra shelter home in Kharar. It had also executed another 10-kWp rooftop project at a temple in Chandigarh last year. Within just a year of launching its customised small-scale solar solutions, Hartek Solar has executed rooftop projects in more than 100 households in Chandigarh alone. It has also installed rooftop projects in the institutional, commercial and industrial categories.

Aug 2019 | Hartek Solar installs Rooftop Solar Plant at Nada Sahib Gurudwara

Ø As a mark of respect to the holy shrine, Hartek Solar dedicates 10-kWp plant to strengthen the message of clean energy, it will generate 16,500 units of electricity annually, which will offset 12.91 Tonnes of carbon dioxide
Ø Hartek Solar has equipped the solar plant with a unique remote sensing technology, which can be linked to Wi-Fi or GPRS SIM card to get alerts on cleaning and maintenance, real-time data on energy generation and savings

Panchkula, August 2, 2019: In a heart-warming gesture, Hartek Solar Pvt Ltd, the rooftop solar division of the Chandigarh-based Hartek Group, has installed a 10-kWp rooftop solar plant at Gurudwara Nada Sahib near Panchkula as part of a CSR initiative.

The 10-kWp plant will generate 16,500 units of electricity annually, which will offset 12.91 Tonnes of carbon dioxide and meet several day-to-day electricity requirements of the historical gurudwara, which caters to thousands of devotees throughout the year. With the completion of this solar plant, which has been installed in the parking of the shrine, Gurudwara Nada Sahib can now not only produce its own clean energy to run lights and fans in the parking and the community kitchen but also cut down on its electricity bills.

The scope of work of the project included installation of solar panels, supply, design, engineering and commissioning of the plant. Notably, Hartek Solar had emerged as the first company to install a solar plant at a religious place in the Tricity when it executed a 10-kWp plant at Sanatan Dharma Mandir in Sector 32, Chandigarh in month/year.

The company has equipped the 10-kWp solar plant at Gurudwara Nada Sahib with a unique remote sensing technology, which can be linked to Wi- Fi or GPRS SIM card to get alerts on cleaning and maintenance as well as real-time data on energy generation and savings. Lauding the Gurudwara management for contributing to the environmental cause by opting for clean energy, Hartek Solar Director Simarpreet Singh said, “It is heartening that such initiatives by religious places and social organisations are encouraging more and more institutions to opt for solar power. Committed to taking up the fight against climate change by contributing to the larger cause of building sustainable energy infrastructure on every roof, we believe in giving back to the society
through such initiatives.”

Thanking and congratulating team HARTEK Solar for the wonderful contribution and demonstrating the spirit of service by voluntarily bearing the entire cost of the project, Gurudwara Nada Sahib management Committee Manager Mr. Jagir Singh said, “Congratulating team HARTEK for the wonderful contribution and we hope our initiative inspires more and more people to contribute towards building a better world for our future generations by shifting to eco-friendly means like solar energy.” Having commissioned 25-MW rooftop solar projects, Hartek Solar is among the leading rooftop solar installers in India. Within just a year of launching its customised small-scale solar solutions, Hartek Solar has executed rooftop projects in more than 100 households in Chandigarh alone. It has also installed rooftop projects in the institutional, commercial and industrial categories.

Jul 2019 | Hartek Power to Connect 130-MW Solar to Grid

Ø The scope of the project includes complete Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the of 220/33 KV substation right from survey, design, engineering and testing to supply, construction, project management and commissioning.
Ø With this order, Hartek Power has connected 1.9 GW of solar power to the grid

Chandigarh, July 4, 2019: Hartek Power, one of India’s fastest growing Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies based in Chandigarh with expertise in executing high-voltage turnkey substations and power infrastructure projects, has bagged a prestigious order for connecting 130 MW of solar power to the grid in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan.

The scope of the 220/33 KV substation project includes complete Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the substation right from survey, design, engineering and testing to supply, construction, project management and commissioning. Hartek Power has prevailed over many big players to secure this significant order from a leading independent power producer.
With this order, Hartek Power has connected 1.9 GW of solar power to the grid.

Attributing the achievement to Hartek Power’s expertise in executing high-voltage turnkey substations, Mr. Hartek Singh, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Hartek Group, said, “Our in-depth knowledge of the Indian business landscape positions us as reliable partners in the power sector. The very fact that leading solar developers have chosen us for their projects over
many other big players reflect our commitment to quality, timely execution of projects, world-class safety standards and globally acclaimed project management techniques.

Given the upbeat market sentiment, the renewed focus of the government on solar power and our unmatched expertise in the solar grid EPC domain, we are looking to make a difference in connecting solar power to the grid through integration of our power system capabilities.”

The 130-MW solar project allotted by Maharashtra State Electricity Development Corporation Limited (MSEDCL) under the National Solar Mission will pave way for providing clean and reliable electricity supply in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan.

Apr 2019 | Hartek India to Supply Electrical Low-Tension Panels for 20 Jails in Punjab

Chandigarh, April 30, 2019: Hartek India — the manufacturing arm of the Hartek Group — will supply electrical low-tension (LT) switchboard panels for a rooftop solar project coming up in about 20 jails spread across 15 districts of Punjab.

The low-voltage electrical panels to be supplied for installations to the tune of 5 megawatt (MW) would help in optimum distribution of an estimated 60 lakh units of electricity to all the jail buildings, a company statement said here on Tuesday.

“Providing a protective fuse for each circuit in a common enclosure, these panels act as a shield against electrical overloads and short circuits while distributing electricity throughout a facility. Since power breakdowns can cause huge generation losses and plant closures, electrical panels play a crucial in avoiding such crises,” the statement said.

Maintaining the highest quality parameters, we ensure that all our products are fully type-tested. In fact, we have our own state-of-the-art testing laboratory in our manufacturing facility to see to it that there is no compromise on quality.

We will continue to build world-class power distribution products under the Make in India campaign, and thus contribute to nation building, Hartek India Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Simarpreet Singh said. Hartek Group has interests in power systems, rooftop solar, power distribution products and other services.

Apr 2019 | Chandigarh-Based Hartek Solar Director Simarpreet Singh Makes it to Forbes Under 30 Asia

Ø Simarpreet Singh has stood out in the Industry, Manufacturing and Energy Category for launching customized plug-and-play rooftop solar kits with a mobile solar van aimed at providing sustainable electricity to rural communities.

Chandigarh, April 4, 2019: Hartek Solar founder-Director Simarpreet Singh has made it to the coveted Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list of achievers for taking up the fight against climate change by contributing to the larger cause of building sustainable energy infrastructure on every roof in the form of innovative small-scale solar solutions.

Notably, Simarpreet is the only entrepreneur from the region, north of Delhi, who has figured in this prestigious roll of honor.

Among the 300 young innovators across 10 categories, chosen from more than 2,000 entries received from 23 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Simarpreet has stood out in the Industry, Manufacturing and Energy Category for launching customised plug-and-play rooftop solar kits with a mobile solar van aimed at providing sustainable electricity to rural communities.

“Sustainability was at the core of the very idea behind founding Hartek Solar in May 2017. Out of the billion people worldwide who do not have access to electricity, 300 million are from India.      I want to reach out to as many of them as possible and make a difference in their lives,” Simarpreet said.

Emerging among the first companies in India to launch customised rooftop solar kits equipped with a unique remote sensing technology under Simarpreet’s stewardship in May 2018, Hartek Solar has installed 25-MW rooftop solar kits so far. Simarpreet is credited with making the remote sensing technology which has largely remained confined to large rooftop solar installations.

The Hartek Solar Founder-Director has gone a step ahead by launching a solar van equipped with all devices catering ..

 

Mar 2019 | Hartek Group CMD Appointed Vice-Chairman of IEEMA

IEEMA encompasses the entire value chain in power generation, transmission and distribution equipment and electronic goods

Chandigarh, March 20, 2019: Hartek Group Chairman and Managing Director Hartek Singh has been appointed as vice-chairman of the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) for the northern region.

“With his (Hartek) vast experience and understanding of the industry, he will lead the regional activities, benefiting the entire fraternity of the electrical and allied industry in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh,” IEEMA said in a statement.

Describing his appointment as an opportunity to work for the advancement of the industry, Singh said, “apart from promoting IEEMA memberships, I will address the concerns of the manufacturers by acting as an interface between the industry and the government.”

IEEMA is the first ISO-certified industry association with more than 800 member organisations encompassing the entire value chain in power generation, transmission and distribution equipment and electronic goods.

Hartek Group has interests in power systems, rooftop solar, power distribution products and other services.