India ROUND-UP: Quality order update, Construction standards, deployment figures

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India updates quality control order

30 May: India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has amended the energy storage batteries component in its ‘Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices and Components Goods Order, 2017’.

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The title of the battery standard will be ‘Secondary Cells and Batteries for Solar Photovoltaic Application General- Requirements and Methods of Test’.

The ministry had confirmed storage as part of the standards last September.

In the latest note, MNRE said that module and inverter manufacturers may submit a self-certification that their products conform to the relevant Indian Standards or their IEC counterparts along with proof of submission of samples to the laboratories by 30 June 2018.

PV Tech has reported in the past on how the government’s meddling with its control order and scheduling had betrayed a “lack of proper planning”.

India to develop construction standards for rooftop and off-grid PV

28 May: MNRE is to develop construction standards for grid-connected rooftop solar and small PV plants as well as off-grid and decentralised solar PV systems.

There are currently no standards specific to construction although there are for electrical and electronic equipment.

MNRE noted: “In the absence of specified construction standards, the workmanship and BOP material used in rooftop and off-grid solar systems are not consistent.”

Therefore, standards are to be brought in to ensure quality and reliability and MNRE has called for suggestions and views on the topic from all stakeholders.

India nears 22GW solar capacity

28 May: India had 20,819.6MW of ground-mounted solar PV and 1,065MW of rooftop PV installed as of 30 April 2018, according to the latest MNRE figures below:

Credit: MNRE

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