UNIT-5 Plant Installation and Government policies

Existing standards on a PV module or Inverter or any component of the plant determines only on the
procedure of manufacturing the product but fails to speak much about the life of the produced
product, in-fact this resembles the need to look at modules in a more quality conscious manner by
linking the required BOM of Solar PV Module to the existing standard procedures. Also requires
regular updating mechanism to be in line with the growing technological developments.
Manufacturing procedures, certifying standards and technology developments has to go hand in hand
to create a sustainable path for operating the plant with the desired life.

IEC Technical Committee (TC) 82 publishes international standards for PV systems that convert
solar energy into electricity, including for all the elements in the entire PV energy chain. It issues a
series of technical specifications (TS) which make recommendations for small renewable hybrid
systems for rural electrification. The standards series has been recognized by the World Bank and
the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Such standards also serve as the
basis for testing and certification of components, devices, and systems

List of IEC Standards:

 Appropriate PV Design – IEC 62548

 Electrical activities of a Utility Scale Power Plant – IEC 62738
 Installation Quality – IEC 63049
 Commissioning & Operations – IEC 62446-1
 Onsite IV measurement – to be in-line with IEC 61829
 System Maintenance – IEC 62446-2
 Performance Monitoring – IEC 61724-1
 Capacity Evaluation – IEC 61724-2
 Energy Evaluation – IEC 61724-3
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is the nodal Ministry of the Government of
India for all matters relating to new and renewable energy. The broad aim of the ministry is to
develop and deploy new and renewable energy for supplementing the energy requirements of
the country. They provide direct and indirect tax benefits such as sales tax, excise duty exemptions,
and custom duty exemptions.

National Solar Mission

Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) 2010, also known as the Solar Mission, is a part
of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). There are three phases to the mission:
Phase I (2010–12), II (2013–17), and III (2017–22). Under Phase I, the Rooftop PV and Small Scale
Generation Programme (RPSSGP) aims to encourage the development of rooftop and ground-
mounted solar systems.

The Indian government revised the Solar Mission in 2014. It targets for 100 GW installed capacity
of solar electricity by 2022. To reach this ambitious target, the government announced several
policies to promote solar energy.

Central Government Policies –

Electricity Act, 2003
The act provides a framework for the overall growth of the electricity sector in India. It gives
provisions for preferential tariff and quotas for opting for renewable energy. Mandatory
procurement of renewable energy for distribution licensees and facilitation of grid connectivity were
incorporated.

National Electricity Policy, 2005

The policy allows preferential tariffs for power produced from renewable energy sources. It aimed to
provide access to electricity to all and increase the minimum per capita availability to 1000 kWh
per year by 2012.

Tariff Policy, 2006

It is the mechanism of the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) to fix a minimum percentage of
the purchase of energy consumption by the states from renewable energy sources. It also provides a
special tariff for solar energy among other renewable energies.

Integrated Energy Policy, 2006

This integrated policy recommended a particular focus on renewable energy development and set
specific targets for capacity addition.

National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), 2008

The Government of India initiated mission mode action plans for sustainable growth under
NAPCC to address climate change. Its first mission was to intensify solar energy development. It
not only set the RPO at 5% of the total grid’s purchase but also a decade long 1% year-on-year RPO
growth.

Generation Based Incentives (GBIs) for Solar

The introduction of GBI was for small grid solar projects below 33 kW. GBIs are for bridging the
gap between a base tariff of INR 5.5 and the tariff put in place by the Central Electricity Regulatory
Commission (CERC) as a financial incentive.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), 2010

Also known as National Solar Mission, JNNSM is one of the eight fundamental National Mission’s
which comprise India’s NAPCC. The mission targets 20,000 MW of grid-connected and off-grid
solar power capacity by 2022 with 2000 MW as a share of off-grid capacity.

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), 2011

RECs is a market-based mechanism. It was introduced to enhance renewable energy capacity. It
levels the inter-state divergences of renewable energy generation and the requirement of the
obligated entities to meet their RPOs with a differentiated price for solar and non-solar.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

CSR was introduced to encourage the private sector participation in the national growth and for
meeting social goals. The CSR funds are from by the top 500 companies as 2 per cent of their profits
towards off-grid solutions.
Subsidy schemes of Government

Both the Central Government as well as State Nodal Agencies (SNAs) offer multiple subsidy
schemes to the people for installing rooftop PV systems. The customer can also sell the excess solar
power back to the grid, for which the customer would get a predetermined fare as decided by the
local DISCOM.

Subsidies and other schemes offered by the government enables us to exploit renewable energy.
Though the upfront cost of installation of a rooftop solar system is high, it is inexpensive in the
long run. There are loans available at lower interest rates that overcome the problem of high
upfront payment associated with solar projects.

In addition to subsidies, the government also offers Accelerated Depreciation (AD) tax benefits to
commercial and industrial customers. Companies can use this to reduce the tax burden in the first
couple of years in the project.

State Government Policy –

1. Telangana - 30% subsidy on capital for installation from MNRE (central government) not the
state government; with 20% subsidy on installation of RTPV (Roof Top PV) up to 3kW capacity for
domestic sector.

2. Chhattisgarh - Capital investment subsidy of 30% given by MNRE (central government).

Subsidy of 40% provided by the state government. Exemption from electricity duty and VAT on
installation.

3. Gujarat - For rooftop systems, subsidy of 40% given for up to 3kW systems. 20%
subsidy for systems between 3-10kW systems.

4. Karnataka - 30% capital subsidy for non-commercial/industrial panels. Priority loans

up to 10 lakh INR given for individuals at rate 9.9% to 10s.75%.
Kisan Urja Suraksha evam utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) scheme

The PM-KUSUM Scheme was launched in 2019 with 3 components:

 Component-A: For Setting up of 10,000 MW of Decentralized Grid Connected Renewable
Energy Power Plants on barren land. Under this component, renewable energy based power
plants (REPP) of capacity 500 kW to 2 MW will be setup by individual farmers/ group of
farmers/ cooperatives/ panchayats/ Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO)/Water User
associations (WUA) on barren land. These power plants can also be installed on cultivable land
on stilts where crops can also be grown below the solar panels. The renewable energy power
project will be installed within five km radius of the sub-stations in order to avoid high cost
of sub-transmission lines and to reduce transmission losses. The power generated will be
purchased by local DISCOM at pre-fixed tariff

 Component-B: For Installation of 17.50 Lakh stand-alone solar agriculture pumps. Under this
Component, individual farmers will be supported to install standalone solar Agriculture pumps
of capacity up to 7.5 HP for replacement of existing diesel Agriculture pumps / irrigation
systems in off-grid areas, where grid supply is not available. Pumps of capacity higher than
7.5 HP can also be installed, however, the financial support will be limited to 7.5 HP capacity

 Component-C: For Solarisation of 10 Lakh Grid Connected Agriculture Pumps. Under this
Component, individual farmers having grid connected agriculture pump will be supported to
solarise pumps. The farmer will be able to use the generated solar power to meet the irrigation
needs and the excess solar power will be sold to DISCOMs at pre-fixed tariff

CENTRAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (CFA)/ STATE GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Component-A: Procurement Based Incentive (PBI) @ 40 paise/kWh or Rs. 6.60
lakhs/MW/year, whichever is less, will be provided for the first five years by MNRE to
DISCOMs, for buying the power from farmers/developers
Component-B & C:
 CFA of 30% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower. State Government
subsidy 30% and Remaining 40% will be bear by the farmer
 In North Eastern States, Sikkim, J&K, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep and A&N
Islands, CFA of 50% is provided, State Government subsidy is 30% and Remaining 20% will
be bear by the farmer
Net Meter Policy for Maharashtra

The Maharashtra State Electricity Regulatory Commission has notified the Net Metering in
Maharashtra for Roof-top Solar PV applications with regulations. The government has thrown its
weight and money behind the development of solar technology in recent years. Net metering is only
one of the ways to convert a simple rooftop into a solar power plant that is viable and sustainable
at both institutional and individual levels.

Maharashtra electricity board keeps track of the energy consumed/ generated by a solar-powered
unit through net metering. It allows the consumers to feed surplus and excess solar power into the
state's power grid and receive a credit on their electricity bill.

Net Metering in Maharashtra

Maharashtra has the 8th largest installed solar power generation capacity in the country.
Maharashtra's solar capacity in the fourth quarter of 2018 stood at 1,311 MW, with solar PV
application and accounting for 3% of the overall installed electricity generation capacity.
Maharashtra's installed solar energy capacity now accounts for more than 1800 MW and
rooftop solar is near 230 MW. It has the fourth-highest installed rooftop solar power
generation capacity across the country.

Step by step procedure to apply for net metering

Step1: Click on the link Mahadiscom.in

Step 2: Click on Consumer Portal

Step 3: Click on Quick Access.

Step4: Select RE Rooftop Net Metering. Apply for the RE Rooftop link.

Step 5: After clicking on "Apply for RE Rooftop," read all basic guidelines.

Step 6: Now, fill the form carefully and submit the net metering application.

Documents Required

(a) In case, RE Generating system is self-owned

 Mandatory technical details (Renewable Energy Generating Station, Inverter and other
equipment of System proposed to be installed).
 Partnership Firms: General Power of Attorney (POA) in favour of signatory
In case, RE Generating system is not self-owned

 In addition to the above (a), Mandatory Third-Party Leasing Agreement is required.

In case RE System Capacity is 200 KW or more.

 In addition to the above in (a), Mandatory Electrical Inspector Permission is required.

PV System Commissioning Checklist

1. Verify Label Installed on Main Service Panel:

THIS SERVICE PANEL IS ENERGIZED FROM MORE THAN ONE SOURCE:

ONLY AUTHORIZED PERSONS WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS SYSTEM SHOULD
ATTEMPT TO DO SERVICE WORK ON IT.

2. Verify Label Installed near the Main Service Panel PV System Circuit Breaker:

BACKFED FROM PV SYSTEM INVERTER

3. Verify Label Installed near the Utility PV System Disconnect:

UTILITY PV SYSTEM DISCONNECT

4. Verify Label Installed near the PV System AC Disconnect:

OPERATING AC VOLTAGE = ________

MAXIMUM AC OUTPUT OPERATING CURRENT = _________

5. Close the Backfed PV System Circuit Breaker in the Service Panel

7. Close the PV System AC Disconnects in the Subpanel.

8. Close the Utility PV System Disconnect.

9. After the PV system is in normal operation, verify the voltages at the Utility

10. Open the Utility Disconnect to simulate a Utility power outage.

11. Verify the voltage at the Inverter (load) side of the Utility Disconnect has dropped to

near zero.

12. Verify Inverter LED’s, alarms and/or LCD codes are appropriate for loss of utility.

13. Close the Utility Disconnect and verify system returns to normal operation.
Solar PV Design and Simulation Software

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and The Energy and Resources Institute
(TERI) listed 7 PV simulation software that are commonly used to design Solar PV systems
worldwide.

1. HOMER PRO

Developed by NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) USA and later enhanced and
distributed by Homer Energy is a micro-grid optimization software. HOMER stands for Hybrid
Optimization Model for Multiple Energy Resources and comes with Simulation, Optimization
and Sensitivity Analysis tools.

It can simulate multiple energy sources. Add multiple loads. Factors like wind speed, fuel cost and
emissions penalties can be included in the calculation. Location search by name is possible. Not
specifically designed for Solar PV. Does not generate IV curve data or can’t do shading analysis.
Also PV electricity generation report is less comprehensive and detailed due to limited information
on weather data and module data. Many loss factors during PV power generation are not added to
calculation.
2. PV F-CHART

Developed by faculties of USA, PV F-Chart is a PV system analysis design program that uses solar
radiation data to calculate PV power generation not taking into account variations caused by PV
modules, inverters and other variables. This program is targeted for academic purposes.

Simple program that calculates PV energy output based on a generic module and inverter. All data to
be added manually and therefore it is difficult to quickly compare generation data by switching
module data, site capacity or location. No shading analysis. Not suitable for calculation of PV power
in real world conditions. Simple graph or tabulated data can be generated but cannot be exported.
3. PVPLANNER

This software comes from solar resource database provider SolarGis. It is a cloud based software
that works on the SaaS (software as a service) platform and claims their data is highly accurate and
offers a rigorous systematic validation approach increasing data reliability.
4. PVSYST

This software is considered a standard for PV system design and simulation worldwide. The
developers claim this software is designed to be used by architects, engineers, researchers and
students.

Quick estimation of production at project planning stage, detailed study, sizing, hourly estimation
and report generation are its key features. Handy design tool for PV system design and estimation.
Simulates most parameters that are required by PV system designers and helps to generate a
comprehensive simulation report.
5. RETSCREEN

Developed by National Resources Canada it is an Excel-based clean energy project analysis software
tool that helps decision makers quickly and inexpensively determine the technical and financial
viability of potential renewable energy, energy efficiency and co-generation projects.

Free program consisting of a macro enabled spreadsheet that has all the formulae in place to
calculate various sorts of energy sources including solar PV and allows user to calculate PV power
generation based on location, do cost analysis and determine project feasibility. Good for students
and a handy tool for those who might want to look at investment and returns on a solar PV project at
an early stage. Does not have any shading analysis or reporting function.
6. SYSTEM ADVISOR MODEL (SAM)

Free software developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL), it is a performance and financial model designed to help in decision
making (taking into account U.S. data and energy policies) at project planning stage.

SAM makes performance predictions and cost of energy estimates for grid-connected power projects
based on installation and operating costs and system design parameters specified by the user. Has
presets for various types of financial models used in the U.S. and the user can choose the suitable
option and provide inputs to run a simulation and generate reports on generation, losses and
financials. Does not offer shading analysis but can import this data from PVsyst.
7. SOLAR PRO

This is the only software in the MNRE list that offers a minute-by-minute calculation making it one
of the most accurate and also the only software to offer an interactive 3D user interface that allows
visualization of the PV system installation and see real time changes to shading and power
generation by moving objects in 3D space.

Offering high levels of accuracy of PV energy generation due to its unique minute-by-minute
calculation formula that takes a cumulative kilowatt reading instead of the usual average kilowatt
hour reading taken most other software. Also it’s detailed interactive near shading analysis allows a
user to pinpoint specific areas that are being affected and make necessary changes in the design to
improve generation. Also worth mentioning is the Map function that aids in drawing a site layout
with the help of satellite ground imagery.