Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Maharashtra regulator rejects surcharge on solar rooftop prosumers

In a major relief to solar rooftop consumers, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has rejected the proposal of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd (MSEDCL) to levy surcharge (wheeling charge) on solar rooftop prosumers at the rate of Rs1.28 per unit. It has also not allowed the discom’s plea to go in for gross metering instead of net.

Had the two proposals been accepted it... Read more..

Panasonic to distribute Mecasolar PV trackers in India

PV tracker firm Mecasolar has signed an agreement with Anchor Electricals, a Panasonic Group Company, to produce and distribute its products in India, and to supply them to Southeast Asia and Africa.

Anchor, which is already well established in the Indian renewables sector, will be supplying Mecasolar’s single-row horizontal tracker HYPERION-SR and the multi-row HYPERION-MR products.

... Read more..

Plan for procurement of electric buses in four months

The Delhi government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS), appointed as a consultant for procurement of 1,000 low-floor electric buses here, has sought four months time to come out with a plan on it. 

A bench, comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta, was informed about this by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, who was... Read more..

Cabinet approves electrification of 13,675 km non-electrified rail routes at a cost of Rs 12,134 crore

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved electrification of 13,675 km of non-electrified railway routes at a cost of Rs 12,134.50 crore. The idea is to make the national transporter more efficient and lower down pollution from diesel engines. 

“Post electrification, Indian Railways is likely to save Rs 13,510 crore per annum in fuel bill. Will generate direct employment of... Read more..

Citizens to get 50 per cent rebate on garbage collection charges

City residents of Indore opting for home composting or have started 100 percent composting of bio-degradable waste of their house will now get a 50% rebate in their monthly user charges for door-to-door garbage collection. The rebate is meant for only domestic users. 
An announcement about it was made in anticipation that a proposal in this regard will be given approval by the mayor-in-council (MIC) soon. 

... Read more..

India rolls out world’s largest UPS project based on lithium-ion battery

Chennai-based supplier of uninterrupted power Supply (UPS) systems Consul Neowatt today announced it has started the world’s largest deployment of lithium-ion UPS solution in Andhra Pradesh. 

The firm said it was supplying UPS systems -- a device that provides battery backup when the electrical power fails or drops -- with lithium-ion battery to power the Internet Protocol CCTV cameras that were being... Read more..

Government asks farmers to use crop residue for biogas production

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today appealed to farmers not to burn crop residue and asked them to adopt new methods to manage it, including using the waste for biogas production. 

Highlighting the government's support to the farmers for addressing the crop residue, he said a provision of Rs 1,151.80 crore for two years has been made under a scheme for states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and... Read more..

Haryana's CM announces power tariff cut by Rs 2 per unit

Ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Haryana, the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday announced Rs Two per unit reduction in power tariffs for domestic users consuming up to 200 units per months.

Making this announcement during the on-going session of the Assembly, the CM said electricity consumers, with monthly consumption of up to 200 units, will be charged Rs 2.50 per unit instead of... Read more..

ACME Solar Holding in talks to raise up to ₹3,000 crore through InvIT

ACME Solar Holdings Ltd plans to raise up to ₹3,000 crore through an infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) amid a prolonged delay in a planned initial share sale.

“Given our 100% shareholding from sponsor and no requirement of liquidity at secondary level to liquidate shareholding like a financial sponsor, we believe an investment trust would be an ideal platform for us to establish a vehicle, targeting... Read more..

NGT says waste management most serious challenge, forms committees to monitor disposal

Warning that failure to ensure proper management of solid waste will have disastrous consequences, the National Green Tribunal has appointed three committees to monitor disposal of garbage in an eco-friendly manner across the country.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management is one of the most serious challenges to environment protection and although Solid Waste Management Rules have been framed in 2016, their... Read more..

Greenko Group calls off plan to buy Orange Renewable

Greenko Group has called off its plan to buy Orange Renewable from Singapore’s AT Capital Group and investment bank Rothschild Inc. has resumed scouting for a buyer for one of India’s largest renewable energy platforms, two people aware of the development said, requesting anonymity. “The contract has expired because of a technical reason,” Greenko Group founder Mahesh Kolli said in response to a query, without giving details. Kolli is also Greenko’s president and joint managing director.

Tata launches pan-India residential rooftop solar solution

Tata Power Solar, a subsidiary of Indian firm Tata Power, has launched a complete residential rooftop solution across India.

The company has already installed some of the largest rooftop solar projects in India, mainly in the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment, including recently completing a rooftop system on the Mumbai cricket stadium of the Cricket Club of India.

... Read more..