Interviews
We will Put Much More Resources into Marketing to Further Expand Our Brand Reputation
Kehua will put much more resources into marketing actions that covers both online and offline activities. We have built connections with the most influential organizations in different countries. What’s more, numerous of road shows and regional promotion activities will be organized together with our local partners to further expand our brand reputation, says Sunny Xu, CEO of Kehua Tech India, solar inverter manufacturer, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Xu discussed about various topics including her company’s journey in solar, plans for brand expansion, market USP, PV plus ESS applications etc.
We expect that by 2022, 30% of Projects to be Executed in Utility Segment with String Inverters
We are targeting more than 600-800MW in India next year. This includes balanced product spread across residential, C&I and Utility segments. Our new advanced state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will also be ready by Feb – Mar, this will further fillip our shipments. With this new facility the total annual capacity will reach more than 20+GWs annually, says Honey Raza, Head – Sales India, Ginlong (Solis) Technologies, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Raza also shared about his company’s latest product offerings, investment & expansion plans etc. Here’re the edited excerpts
We Must Understand that an Equal World is an Enabled World
Rooftop solar in India has not been able to scale up to the level and attained critical mass although it has tremendous potential. This has been primarily due to inadequate policy push and more focus been given to utility scale solar. Rooftop solar sector needs its own set of policies directed to promote rapid deployment of assets such as removal of upper limit for net metering, better financing options, and avoiding frequent policy revisions. In an exclusive interaction series with women influencers in the power sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Rajni Bhandari, AGM- Marketing at Amp Energy India. Here’re some edited excerpts from that interaction:
EV Still at Nascent Stage in India, Challenges have been Multi-Fold and Multi-Dimensional
In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy and mobility sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Nishant Saini, Founder and MD of EEE-Taxi. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:
Energy Sector has Potential to Play Major Role in Economic Revival & Creating Jobs after Crisis
In order to achieve the most competitive tariffs in India, the cost of investment must be continuously optimized. This context will allow the implementation in the Indian market of improved technologies such as bifacial and higher efficiency solar panels, more performant wind turbines with higher capacity and larger diameter, or also other innovative solutions, such as molten salt storage solutions for solar electricity or wind and solar hybrid installations combined with energy management systems. These solutions are now being experimented in some countries, believes Harmanjit Nagi, Managing Director, EDF India – an arm of French multinational electric utility company, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Nagi also discussed about his company’s energy portfolio in India, its 2030 targets, EDF’s Pulse Start-up programme etc.
LiFePO4 Battery will Rule the Market in Coming Years
The battery system is the core part of Energy Storage System (ESS), we think the LFP (LiFePO4) battery will rule the market in the coming years. Customers are concerned about the safety issue of the battery system especially when they get one installed inside their house. LFP battery is more stable and safer, also with reasonable energy density, which makes people feel safe and reliable. With the breakthrough of the technology and market demand increasing, the price of the LFP battery should drop down in near future, which makes the customer become affordable to pay it easily, believes Lisa Zhang, Marketing Director, Growatt in an exclusive interview with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Lisa shared her company’s product offerings for the Indian market, revenue targets, rooftop solar market expansion plans etc.
Changing Consumer Behavior is Key Challenge for the Energy Industry
While climate change is a big problem to solve and energy transition is going to be bigger than let us say, the telephony transition; however, changing consumer behavior is the key challenge for the energy industry. Having to sensitize business consumers to stop viewing energy as a commodity and see it as a finite resource has been a challenge. If the world has to transition to greener distributed energy systems, both residential and business consumers, will have to co-participate as energy prosumers in the future energy industry.
In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Rajesh Solanki, Founder & CEO, Energos. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:
Apart from Cells, Modules Govt Should Support Setting up Silicon Ingots, Wafer Mfg in India
There is a clear need for restricting cheap imports and boosting domestic manufacturing. Apart from cells and modules the Govt. Should support setting up of silicon ingots and wafers manufacturing units hence achieving vertical integration. The total self reliance can be achieved only by having complete control over the entire value chain. We also need to invest in the research and development of new technologies so as to come with new highly efficient innovative products. To capitalise on this opportunity we have plans in place to double our capacity to 200 MW by next fiscal, believes Manish Gupta, Managing Director, Insolation Energy Pvt. Ltd., in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Gupta discussed on various topics including the impact of various policy initiatives taken by the govt, his company’s plans under Make in India initiative, suggestions for the policy makers etc.
2020 has been a Milestone Year for FIMER
2020 has been a milestone year for FIMER. In our bid to create a bold new era for solar, we acquired ABB’s solar inverter business in March 2020, establishing our position as the fourth largest inverter manufacturer in the world, with a global footprint across five continents and operations in more than 100 countries. While the coronavirus pandemic has slowed the overall market, we have utilised this time to focus on transitioning our operations and to create one team, believes Filippo Carzaniga, Chairman (BoD), Fimer Group - world’s fourth largest inverter manufacturer, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Carzaniga also discussed about his company’s product portfolio for Indian customers, their specialty, manufacturing capabilities under Make in India etc
We Want to Install Solar on the Roofs of 1 Million Home-Owners in Next 5 Years
Lack of single window approval for net metering and government subsidies is one big issue which is a bit out of our hands - takes too much time and resource and hits our customer satisfaction scores negatively. In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Pranesh Chaudhary, Founder & CEO, ZunRoof Tech Private Limited. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:
Government Should Come Up with Supportive Policies and Smooth System for Net Metering
Now is the time to focus on domestic manufacturing which would help conserve substantial foreign exchange and create atleast 3 to 4 lakh jobs in next five years. About 63 per cent of cell manufacturing capacity and 43 per cent of module manufacturing facilities in India are located at SEZs. Government should support local manufacturing and came up with supportive plans for SMEs as well, so they would get a chance in manufacturing and would be able to export as well as cater to domestic market. In an exclusive interaction series with women influencers in the power sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Priyanka Mohan, Director, Kor Energy. Here’re some excerpts from that interaction:
We are Up for Bringing Our in-house Battery Show from USA to India soon.
The plans of expanding the horizon of REI are already set in motion. We are going big way in bringing Bio Energy sector to life once again as it has tremendous potential in India. Additionally, the Batteries and EVs pose huge potential and we are up for the grab in bringing our in-house event “The Battery Show” from USA into India soon. Not to forget, the Digital portfolio is here to stay that’d keep us insulated against any such natural / man-made calamity moving forward and will bring element of buoyancy, resilience in our businesses, said Rajneesh Khattar, Group Director - India, Informa Markets, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Khattar shares about how Informa is setting example by organising India’s first physical event amid Covid-19, precautions taken, his message for the industry, expansion plans among others.
Policy Support has been Insufficient for Realising the Full Potential of EV Market
We are doing good business in OEM segment, and are on top position in the OEM development in Indian market. Our management has decided to start local manufacturing unit in 2021, and will announce very soon about the location. We are very aggressive towards developing our business on local manufacturing concept, said Brijesh Prajapati, Managing Director- India, Sofarsolar, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Prajapati shares about his company’s product offerings, business growth, expertise, expansion plans for India etc.
In the longer term ArcVera has expansive plans for India
We provide accurate long-term hourly and short-interval ten-minute time series of energy production estimates to inform the design of hybrid projects. Without a granular, time series approach in methodology, major errors in design and expectations for hybrid performance accrue, and worst-case scenarios persist unmitigated. Our expertise is perfectly suitable to the application of winning tenders, or energy auctions simply because small details and accuracy matter much more with respect to the return-on-investment when compared with a feed-in-tariff structured market, says Dr. Gregory S. Poulos, Founder and CEO, ArcVera Renewables, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Dr. Gregory discussed about his company’s offerings for the Indian market, target customers, long term plans for India etc.
To Boost EVs’ Demand in India, Govt Should Focus on Both Fiscal and Non-Fiscal Impediments
To complement our existing business and to further expand our product lines and technological capabilities, Amphenol has come up with Amphenol PCD, Chennai and their state of art manufacturing & assembly lines have been set up at Maramalai Nagar, Chennai to fulfil the requirement of electrical connectors to be used in Electric Vehicle, Rail mass transit, Data centre and Energy storage, says Naresh Kumar, General Manager, Amphenol PCD, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Kumar discussed extensively about Amphenol’s business expansion under Make in India, it’s product offerings, accomplished targets, FAME-II scheme etc.
More Focused Approach will be Required Towards Funding Low Cost Innovation
Number of schemes for new entrants under the Start-up India initiative has been set up, primarily in terms of funding, tax breaks and rebates. Additional support in the form of Incubation Centres and Ease of Doing Business can be helpful. Some of the best steps could be – spreading more awareness about schemes launched, e-governance and reducing bureaucracy & government interference. For example - GST registration requirements for 3 years has already been removed. Besides, more focused approach will be required towards – funding low cost innovation, easy loan process, single window to process all documentation work, tax relaxation etc. In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Nitin Saxena, Founder, ALBJ Green Power. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction
Revayu Energy Looking to Raise $4 Mn from Potential Investors.
No doubt there have been challenges, but more challenges we faced, stronger has been our determination to overcome those. Moreover, we truly believe that if there is a problem, there has to be a solution and most of our innovations are driven out of our problem solving approach. Telecom industry emits 6 million metric tonnes of CO2 annually and by using our hybrid energy solution the carbon footprint can be reduced substantially. In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Prateek Gupta, Founder & CEO, Revayu Energy. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction
It is High Time for Indian Industry to Take up R&D and Advanced Cell Manufacturing.
India is expected to attract investment in two-to-four Giga factories for advanced Li-ion batteries, attracting over $3 billion in investments in the next 3 years. The battery pack manufacturers in India are currently assembling high capacity packs with the goal to target electric vehicles and stationary storage market. Assembling of Li-ion battery packs is a dynamic industry in India and is growing at a healthy pace, says Dr. Rahul Walawalkar, President, India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), in an exclusive interaction with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India.
India will Require Strong Professionals to Power its RE Ambitions Over Next 5 Yrs
Traditionally, energy studies have been male-dominated, but I’ve seen a shift over the years. Today, in renewables in particular, there are a growing number of women in leadership positions, with many setting up their own businesses. To my mind, the disparity that existed has reduced to a large extent and there are opportunities available for qualified professionals irrespective of gender. In an exclusive interaction series with women influencers in the power sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Dr. Uma Rajarathnam, Vice President and Global Head of Applied Research and Collaboration, Enzen. Here’re some excerpts from that interaction:
Major Reforms Need to be Initiated in the Power Distribution Sector
I feel major reforms need to be initiated in the power distribution sector to address the challenges facing the power sector. Privatization of the sector will be key to ensuring profitability and operation efficiency for the sector. The recent announcement privatizing the DISCOMs in Union Territories was a significant step in this direction. Increased private sector participation in power distribution will not only help DISCOMs deal with the growing financial stress but also enhance the quality of services, says Jaideep Mukherji, CEO, Smart Power India, an arm of The Rockefeller Foundation, in an exclusive interview with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Mr Jaideep discussed in detail about various topics including role of mini-grids in Covid-19 scenario, their significance in rural India, possible solutions for Discoms financial distress etc. Here're the edited excerpts
Konain Mizba
Venture Scouting Lead
Konain Mizba Explains Theia Ventures’ KPI Framework for Energy Transition Startups
Vipin Kumar Kasana
Channel Sales Manager
Innovation and Expansion Ahead, Says Vipin Kumar Kasana of Sungrow India
Nalin Agarwal
Founding Partner
Entrepreneurs Will Drive India’s Net-Zero Journey, Says Nalin Agarwal of Climate Collective
Dr. Faruk G. Patel
CMD
KP Group Accelerates Green Energy Expansion as Dr. Faruk G. Patel Outlines 2030 Vision
Uday Parmar
Co-Founder
Lilypad is Building India’s Full-Stack EV Backbone, Says Co-founder Uday Parmar