Clean Energy Tech Firm Ecozen Raises $30 Million for Global Expansion

SJVN Green Energy Invites Bids to Source Land for 200 MW Solar Projects in Assam

Avaada Inks ₹45 Billion Refinancing Deal for Four Solar Projects in Rajasthan

Daily News Wrap-Up: Application Process for ALMM Inclusion and Renewal

Australia Adds 5.9 GW of Renewable Capacity to the Grid in 2023

POWERGRID Wins Contracts to Evacuate 18 GW of Renewable Energy

MNRE Seeks Feedback on Guidelines for PM-Surya Ghar Rooftop Solar Program

Apple Partners with CleanMax to Power India Operations with Renewable Energy

Explainer: Application Process for ALMM Inclusion and Renewal

EU Member States Sign Solar Charter to Boost Domestic Manufacturing


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					</table><p><a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RMIT University</a> has secured international patents for the development of the proton battery, which holds the potential to power homes, vehicles, and devices, offering an eco-friendly alternative to conventional lithium-ion batteries.</p>
<p>Operating on a carbon electrode that stores hydrogen derived from water splitting, the researchers said their proton battery doubles the energy capacity of previously reported electrochemical hydrogen storage systems.</p>
<p>During the experiments, the team successfully powered small fans and lights for several minutes, showcasing the real-world applicability of the battery.</p>
<p>One of the key advantages of the proton battery lies in its sustainable design, as all components and materials can be rejuvenated, reused, or recycled, avoiding any end-of-life environmental concerns.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the team claimed that the battery’s storage capacity of 2.2 wt% (percentage by weight) hydrogen in its carbon electrode already rivals commercially available lithium-ion batteries while being less resource intensive.</p>
<p>The dominance of lithium-ion batteries in the energy storage landscape has posed supply chain challenges due to the concentration of lithium reserves in a few countries and the increasing scarcity and cost of metals like cobalt, essential for these batteries.</p>
<p>In contrast, the team pointed out that the proton battery&#8217;s main resource, carbon, is abundant, available worldwide, and relatively inexpensive.</p>
<p><strong>How the Proton Battery Works </strong></p>
<p>The proton battery operates by splitting water molecules during the charging process to generate protons, which bond to the carbon electrode.</p>
<p>This approach eliminates the energy losses associated with storing hydrogen gas at high pressure and splitting the gas molecules again in fuel cells during discharge.</p>
<p>Instead, when the battery discharges, protons are released from the carbon electrode and combined with oxygen from the air to generate power, resulting in significantly lower losses compared to conventional hydrogen systems.</p>
<p>With recent design enhancements that enhance electrochemical reactions within the battery, the research team has achieved satisfactory performance gains.</p>
<p>The team mentioned that the collaborative effort between RMIT University and Italian-based international automotive component supplier <a href="https://www.eldorgroup.com/en/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eldor Corporation</a> has further fuelled progress.</p>
<p>The ongoing two-year research collaboration aims to develop and prototype the proton battery, moving towards kilowatt and, eventually, megawatt-scale storage solutions for domestic and commercial applications.</p>
<p>The work of the RMIT team on the proton battery has been supported by peer-reviewed research and government funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (<a href="https://arena.gov.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ARENA</a>) and the <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Victorian Government</a> through a research partnerships grant.</p>
<p>Recently a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology has <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/aluminum-anodes-show-promise-powerful-batteries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taken</a> a novel approach, utilizing aluminum foil to create solid-state batteries with increased energy density and stability compared to the widely used lithium-ion technology.</p>
<p>In another development, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Madras) <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/iit-madras-finds-redox-flow-batteries-capabilities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that all-organic redox flow batteries could achieve enhanced energy density, stability, and solubility by introducing pyrylium salt into the mix.</p>
<p><strong>Image Credit: </strong>RMIT University</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/gautamee-hazarika/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Gautamee Hazarika</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Picture1.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Gautamee,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
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<a href="gautamee@mercomindia.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gautamee@mercomindia.com</a></p>
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<div class="authorboxn"><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Picture1.jpg" width="102" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/gautamee-hazarika/" rel="noopener">Gautamee</a> is a reporter at Mercom India. Prior to Mercom, Gautamee was working as a multimedia news journalist at ThePrint in New Delhi. She has received her Bachelors in English Honors and Masters in English Literature from St.Stephen&#8217;s College, University of Delhi.<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/gautamee-hazarika/" rel="noopener">More articles from Gautamee</a></div>
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Researchers Build Proton Battery as a Cost-Effective Energy Storage Alternative


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					</table><p>Power Finance Corporation (<a href="https://pfcindia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PFC</a>) has inked a project loan agreement with the Japan Bank for International Corporation (<a href="https://www.jbic.go.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JBIC</a>) for a ¥2.6 billion (~$20.2 million) facility.</p>
<p>PFC would use the funds under the facility to finance its renewable energy portfolio and provide competitive rates.</p>
<p>Under the agreement, the Japan Bank would finance some of PFC’s clean projects that are aimed at mitigating greenhouse gas emissions while establishing sustainable solutions in eco-friendly operations.</p>
<p>The PFC-JBIC pact was <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/daily-news-wrap-up-jbic-loans-pfc-renewable-energy-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executed</a> in July last year under a general agreement for a total loan of ¥30 billion (~$220.8 million).</p>
<p>JBIC is a policy-based financial institution in Japan and conducts lending, investment, and guarantee operations while complementing the private sector financial institutions.</p>
<p>The long-term facility to PFC is under the JBICs initiative titled ‘Global action for Reconciling Economic growth and Environmental preservation,’ under which the latter finances projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve the global environment.</p>
<p>The loan agreement was signed at JBIC headquarters in Tokyo, between PFC Chairman and Managing Director R S Dhillon and Uchida Makoto, Managing Executive Officer of JBIC. PFC tweeted on the development, “PFC has signed a Project Loan Agreement (PLA) for JPY 2.65 billion with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) at a Project Loan Agreement (PLA) signing ceremony held at JBIC Head Quarters, Tokyo, Japan.”</p>
<p>India recently <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/constant-climate-centric-funding-can-limit-global-temperature-under-1-5c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hailed</a> the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Synthesis Report, highlighting that the developed countries are yet to receive the $100 billion funding under the Paris Climate Accord from developing countries.</p>
<p>The report highlighted that the funds would help developing nations with the required technology needed to help cut greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
<p>In 2022, the Power Finance Corporation <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/power-finance-q3-profit-rises-to-%e2%82%b952-41-billion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disbursed</a> loans of over ₹1,068.7 billion (~$12.9 billion) for clean operations and projects in India, up by 28% year-over-year. The higher loan disbursements fuelled the company’s robust performance for the year.</p>
<p>According to a report by the International Energy Agency, energy-related carbon emissions <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/clean-energy-growth-co2-emissions-in-2022-iea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> by 1% last year, which is lower than expected.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/gourav-mishra/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Gourav Mishra</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/WhatsApp-Image-2022-04-06-at-6.37.25-PM-1-1.jpeg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Gourav,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/gourav-mishra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Gourav.</a></p>
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<div class="authorboxn"><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/WhatsApp-Image-2022-04-06-at-6.37.25-PM-1-1.jpeg" width="89" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/gourav-mishra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gourav</a> is a staff reporter with Mercom India with over six years of experience in various roles with NewsX, The New Indian Express, IBTimes India, and U.S., Republic, and Analytics India Magazine. Gourav has a Master&#8217;s in journalism from Jain University, Bengaluru. <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/gourav-mishra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Gourav Mishra</a></div>
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Japan Bank Loans ¥2.6 Billion to PFC for Emissions Reduction Projects


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					</table><p>Financial support from developed economies to developing nations which is a critical enabler of climate action has been inadequate, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPCC</a>) report highlighting that the promised mobilization of $100 billion under the Paris Climate Accord hasn’t materialized for the developing countries.</p>
<p>India welcomed the much-needed financial support to provide developing countries with the required technology to help cut greenhouse gas emissions. The report emphasized that India has consistently held the position that development is our first defense against climate change.</p>
<p>Further, the IPCC Synthesis Report said that promoting scientific, indigenous, and local knowledge on climate-centric measures is the need of the hour, along with the available global capital to mitigate the rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
<p>One of the effective ways to achieve climate goals is increasing and maintaining continuous investments in climate actions and policies, the report said. It added that public funding through investors, governments, banks, and financial regulators can extend all support required to reduce emissions worldwide.</p>
<p>Christopher Trisos, one of the 93 experts who authored the report, said, “Accelerated climate action will only come about if there is a many-fold increase in finance. Insufficient and misaligned finance is holding back progress. The greatest gains in wellbeing could come from prioritizing climate risk reduction for low-income and marginalized communities, including people living in informal settlements.”</p>
<p>However, while countries have pledged to maintain the global temperature below 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050 and 2 degrees Celsius by 2070, the report projects that the 2050 target already stands breached owing to over a century of burning fossil fuels that has led to global warming of 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.</p>
<p>IPCC stated that if global warming is to be limited to 1.5 degrees, emissions need to be cut by almost half by 2030 from the current levels.</p>
<p>The report said that for every 1,000 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by human activity, global surface temperature rises by 0.45°C. The remaining carbon budgets from the beginning of 2020 are 500 GtCO2 for a 50% likelihood of limiting global warming to 1.5°C and 1,150 GtCO2 for a 67% likelihood of limiting warming to below 2°C.</p>
<p>Kroll Bond Rating Agency recently <a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/access-finance-key-raising-eus-per-capita-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> an analysis stating that with strong financing policies like asset-backed securities, the European Union can generate 680 TW of electricity annually by installing rooftop solar– a quarter of Europe&#8217;s current consumption.</p>
<p>The IPCC report said that effective and equitable conservation of approximately 30-50% of the Earth’s land, freshwater, and ocean will help ensure a healthy planet.</p>
<p>Another author Aditi Mukherji said, “Climate justice is crucial because those who have contributed least to climate change are being disproportionately affected. Almost half of the world’s population lives in highly vulnerable regions to climate change. In the last decade, deaths from floods, droughts, and storms were 15 times higher in highly vulnerable regions.”</p>
<p>IPCC <a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/rapid-cuts-in-ghg-emissions-needed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in 2021 that an increase of 1.5°C in global temperature will cause increasing heat waves, longer summers, and shorter winters. A 2°C rise would have devastating effects like reaching critical tolerance thresholds for agriculture and health, directly impacting the food system and human lives.</p>
<p>According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, global investments in energy transition technologies <a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/investments-renewables-2022-need-increase/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">achieved</a> a historic milestone by reaching a record high of $1.3 trillion in 2022, a 19% increase over 2021 and a 50% jump from the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/gourav-mishra/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Gourav Mishra</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/WhatsApp-Image-2022-04-06-at-6.37.25-PM-1-1.jpeg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Gourav,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/gourav-mishra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Gourav.</a></p>
</div>
<div class="authorboxn"><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/WhatsApp-Image-2022-04-06-at-6.37.25-PM-1-1.jpeg" width="89" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/gourav-mishra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gourav</a> is a staff reporter with Mercom India with over six years of experience in various roles with NewsX, The New Indian Express, IBTimes India, and U.S., Republic, and Analytics India Magazine. Gourav has a Master&#8217;s in journalism from Jain University, Bengaluru. <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/gourav-mishra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Gourav Mishra</a></div>
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Constant Climate-Centric Funding Can Limit Global Temperature Under 1.5°C 

<p>Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world:</p>
<p><strong>Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, will </strong><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1674019" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>inaugurate</strong></a><strong> the virtual edition of the third Global Renewable Energy Investment Meeting and Expo (RE-INVEST 2020) on November 26, 2020.</strong> Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, R. K. Singh, informed that the 3<sup>rd</sup> RE-Invest would provide an international forum for investment promotion in renewable energy. It will include a two-day virtual conference on renewables and future energy choices and an exhibition of manufacturers, developers, investors, and innovators engaged in the clean energy sector. The event will include six focused country sessions, alongside over 20 plenary and technical sessions, and a special chief ministerial plenary session.</p>
<p><strong>Panasonic, a Japan-based technology company, has </strong><a href="https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2020/11/en201118-4/en201118-4-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>signed</strong></a><strong> a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with energy company Equinor and Hydro, a global supplier of aluminum to explore possibilities for establishing a sustainable and cost-competitive European battery business.</strong> The companies will work together to assess the market for lithium-ion batteries in Europe and mature the business case for a green battery business located in Norway. The companies will also investigate the potential for an integrated battery value chain and the co-location of supply chain partners.</p>
<p><strong>Invenergy, a global developer and operator of sustainable energy solutions, </strong><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/invenergy-powers-daily-life-with-largest-solar-project-in-the-us-301175733.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>announced</strong></a><strong> a 1.3 GW solar energy generation facility that will be the largest in the United States upon completion.</strong> Currently, under construction in northeast Texas, the Samson Solar Energy Center will support the sustainability objectives of five major consumer brands, including AT&amp;T, Google, Honda, McDonald&#8217;s, and supply power to three Texas municipalities. The full project is expected to be operational in 2023, and it will produce enough energy to power nearly 300,000 households in the US.</p>
<p><strong>Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser, a division of Nel ASA, has </strong><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nel-asa-enters-into-mou-with-iberdrola-to-develop-large-scale-green-hydrogen-project-and-the-hydrogen-technology-value-chain-in-spain-301176225.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>entered</strong></a><strong> into a Memorandum of Understanding with Iberdrola, a Spain-based electric utility company, for the development of over 200 MW of green hydrogen production facility in Spain by 2023.</strong> The parties will commence the project and strategic discussions to deploy over 200 MW of electrolyzers in 2023 after the initial 20 MW facility is set to commence operations in 2021.</p>
<p><strong>ClearVue Technologies Limited, an Australia-based smart building materials provider, has </strong><a href="http://www.clearvuepv.com/wp-content/uploads/austocks/cpv/2020_11_16_CPV_6c61d578dbe736d5f8129ba1e7d0accc.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>commenced</strong></a><strong> the construction of a solar glass greenhouse at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia.</strong> The three sections of the greenhouse comprise three different iterations of the ClearVue photovoltaic glazing solar technology. The four sections within the greenhouse include one section using normal glazing as a control for the experiment to measure the ClearVue glazing technology against traditionally glazed greenhouse. In addition to this performance testing and following the greenhouse construction, the company will engage with a team of researchers from Murdoch University under a collaborative research agreement to evaluate the ClearVue glazing technology&#8217;s effectiveness for use in plant growth.</p>
<p><strong>Tritium, an Australia-based technology company, has </strong><a href="https://www.tritiumcharging.com/tritium-unveils-world-first-scalable-electric-vehicle-charging-platform/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>unveiled</strong></a><strong> its modular and scalable charging hardware platform that provides consumers with the flexibility to increase their chargers&#8217; power level as electric vehicle charging capabilities advance. </strong>Charge power can be increased in 25 kW increments, starting at 25 kW and increasing to 350 kW and beyond. As part of the launch, the company also revealed the first charger built on a platform with its RTM75 direct current (DC) charger, allowing drivers to add 75 kilometers of range to an electric vehicle in 10 minutes of charging.</p>
<p>Here is our <a href="https://mercomindia.com/daily-news-wrap-up-solar-oyster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">previous</a> daily news wrap-up.</p>
<p>Image credit: PMO India &#8211; PIB India, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80874726" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GODL-India</a>,</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/harsh-shukla/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Harsh Shukla</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Harsh-Shukla-293x300-1-new.jpg" width="99" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/harsh-shukla/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Harsh Shukla</strong> </a>is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Previously with Indian Express, he has covered general interest stories. He holds a Masters Degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/harsh-shukla/">More articles from Harsh Shukla.</a></p>
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Daily News Wrap-Up: PM Modi to Inaugurate the Third Edition of RE-INVEST on November 26

<p>The world’s largest and growing energy market, China, <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/09/1073052" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> its ambition to transform into a  carbon-neutral economy by 2060. However, for a country that contributes 28% of global emissions, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s claim lacked announcement of a definite roadmap and immediate concrete steps towards the goal, analysts opined.</p>
<p>“Of course, big questions remain…China’s definition of ‘carbon neutrality’ is not well defined from the short announcement. Further, no roadmap was offered as to how this will be achieved. 2060 is a long time, immediate, concrete steps are yet to be announced,” Asia Pacific vice-chair, Gavin Thompson at Wood Mackenzie said.</p>
<p>The firm’s Asia Pacific head of markets and transitions, Prakash Sharma, said: “China currently emits over 10 billion tons of carbon and will need to make significant efforts to reach net-zero without affecting its economic development.”</p>
<p>According to Thompson, China’s upcoming 14th five-year plan could be a crucial document in the global energy market history. He predicts increased investment in wind, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/china-solar-installations-aecea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">solar</a>, electric vehicles, and battery storage technology, along with support for green <a href="https://mercomindia.com/chinas-framework-boost-hydrogen-fuel-cell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hydrogen</a> and carbon capture technology.</p>
<p>“It won’t, of course, be the complete roadmap. I expect clean coal will continue to receive strong support,” he said.</p>
<p>According to renewable industry executives, focus on green energy could increase Chinese domestic demand for solar, wind, and electric vehicle components toppling the current dynamics. It could push prices up in the world market. A similar trend was noticed in the steel industry when China focused on infrastructure development, procuring large quantities of iron and steel.</p>
<p>Increased demand for electric vehicles could also lead to economies of scale in batteries and provide the necessary boost to bring hydrogen fuel into the mainstream.</p>
<p>In a recent analysis, Wood Mackenzie predicts China’s emissions to fall nearly 60% by 2040 from 2019 level using electrification, renewables, green hydrogen, and carbon removal technologies. The firm expects China to deploy over a billion tons of carbon capture and storage capacity across its power and industrial sectors. These efforts will need to start much earlier and at a larger scale to deliver a carbon-neutral goal by 2060.</p>
<p>Sharma said that the impact on global energy, commodity markets, and seaborne trade would be significant. Major commodity exporters’ will reset strategies to align with China’s ambitions.</p>
<p>Research director Alex Whitworth at WoodMac said: “With this announcement, the world’s largest carbon emitter finally shifts from its long-term position of having limited responsibility to assuming clearer leadership in tackling climate change. President Xi also stated that China would reach peak emissions before 2030.”</p>
<p>Whitworth said that President Xi responded to the coronavirus pandemic and the more recalcitrant position of the Trump administration towards the 2016 Paris Agreement. He implored urgent reforms in the system of global governance towards a greener and more sustainable pathway.</p>
<p>President Xi called on all countries to “stop only pursuing development rather than environmental protection.</p>
<p>“Clearly, for China, this needs to start at home, though the signal that China intends to take a greater and more vocal leadership role in global environmental protection was clear,” said Whitworth.</p>
<p>“But if any country can achieve such ambitious goals, it will be China. Strong state support and coordination have proven extremely effective at reaching economic goals. If this is directed towards climate change, then China is capable of transforming its carbon emissions trajectory over the coming four decades in the same way it has transformed its economy over the past 40 years,” he said.</p>
<p>According to the National Energy Administration, 11.52 GW of solar capacity was installed in China during the first half of 2020. Large-scale solar installations accounted for 7.08 GW and distributed solar accounted for 4.43 GW at the end of June. Installations <a href="https://mercomindia.com/china-adds-11-5-gw-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">increased</a> slightly compared to the first half of 2019 when China <a href="https://mercomindia.com/china-adds-11-gw-of-solar-added-in-first-half-of-2019/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">installed</a> 11.4 GW.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/debjoy-sengupta/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Debjoy Sengupta</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="authorboxn" style="padding-bottom: 20px"><a href="#" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Debjoy Sengupta</strong> </a>is a research analyst at Mercom India Research.</div>
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<div class="authorboxn"><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/debjoy-sengupta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Debjoy Sengupta</a></div>
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China’s Pledge to Become Carbon-Neutral by 2060 Has Global Implications

<p>Over 361.3 million LED bulbs have been distributed across India, and 10.3 million smart LED streetlights have been installed under the <a href="http://ujala.gov.in/FAQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UJALA</a> and LED Street Lighting National Program at an estimated energy savings of 6.97 billion kWh/year, according to the <a href="https://powermin.nic.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ministry of Power</a> (MoP).</p>
<p>According to the MoP, the initiative taken under UJALA has resulted in estimated energy savings of 46.92 billion kWh/ year (avoiding the peak demand of 9,394 MW) and an estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction of 38 million CO2 annually.</p>
<p>Rising energy expenditure has been an issue in India, and one of the most overlooked reasons for this has been energy efficiency. To promote energy efficiency, the government has launched programs like UJALA LED Street Lighting National Program which have helped the country in increasing its energy savings significantly. Launched in January 2015, the government’s zero subsidies UJALA and LED Street Lighting National Program marked its fifth anniversary recently.</p>
<p>UJALA <a href="https://mercomindia.com/ujala-cut-down-peak-power-demand-9-gw/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">was set up</a> to promote efficient use of energy at the residential level and enhance consumer awareness so they can choose efficient equipment and reduce energy bills, thereby helping to conserve the environment. When launched, the UJALA program targeted replacing 770 million conventional lighting solutions with LEDs. Further, UJALA targeted savings of 100 billion units of electricity and reducing installed capacity by 20,000 MW and mitigate the emission of 79 million tons in greenhouse gases. The program promotes the use of LED bulbs as a substitute for incandescent bulbs, tube lights, and CFL bulbs. LED bulbs that are distributed under the UJALA program are available at subsidized rates at special counters set up at designated places in different cities across the country. To be eligible to procure LEDs under UJALA, a household must have a metered electricity connection from the respective electricity DISCOM.</p>
<p>The government claims that the sale of LED bulbs in the Indian market has increased from 0.1% in 2014 to 15% within a year, with a projected increase to 60% by 2020. With the average household electricity bills down by 15%, the annual energy savings is equivalent to a week’s average earning, the statement added. The government also noted that the prices of LED bulbs being distributed under UJALA have fallen to one-tenth of their rates between 2015 and 2018.</p>
<p>“As these lights are automated, they switch on and off at sunrise and sunset, thereby reducing wastage. Utilities can also remotely track and rectify any faults. In the last five years, the LED streetlights installed have illuminated 300,000 km of roads in India, enabling public safety and energy-efficient lighting,” the government said in a statement.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.eeslindia.org/content/raj/eesl/en/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Energy Efficiency Services Limited</a> (EESL), a government company under the administrative control of Ministry of Power, has been assigned the responsibility to implement this program. EESL works with electricity distribution companies through a benefit-sharing approach. The government’s statement adds that  EESL intends to invest ₹80 billion (~$1.1 billion) for the installation and retrofitting of over 30 million LED streetlights in the next four to five years.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Street Lighting National Program aims to replace 13.4 million conventional streetlights in India with smart LEDs by March 2020.</p>
<p>With this, the government expects that the “ambitious goal” will enable peak demand reduction of about 1,500 MW, annual energy savings of 9 billion kWh, and reduction of 6.2 million tons of CO2/year.</p>
<p>Recently, the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mysore-floats-tender-3825-sets-led-solar-home-lighting-systems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> a Request for Proposal for 3,825 sets of LED-based solar home lighting systems.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/anjana/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Anjana Parikh</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Anjana2.png" width="112" height="121" />Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.</p>
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Over 361 Million LED Bulbs Distributed Under UJALA Program

<p>Sunseap Group, a Singapore-based renewable energy firm, has secured a $43 million green loan from the United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) to increase the reach of solar power in the country.</p>
<p>The Southeast Asian renewable energy company will use this loan to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on 210 rooftops, ranging from commercial and industrial premises to government establishments.</p>
<p>Altogether, the sites have a total solar capacity of 37 MW, which would provide power to more than 9,600 four-room flats of the Housing &amp; Development Board (<a href="https://mercomindia.com/singapores-housing-development-board-tenders-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HDB</a>) for a year.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.sunseap.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sunseap</a>, solar power generated will also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17,000 tons per year.</p>
<p>One of the companies with which Sunseap has worked to install solar PV systems is Sakae Holdings. The 270 kW-peak solar energy system at Sakae’s headquarters in Tai Seng has 1,400 solar panels and can generate up to one-third of the building’s energy needs.</p>
<p>The green loan has been issued under the Sunseap Green Finance Framework, which was established in 2018. Under its framework, Sunseap will tap various financing instruments to fund its projects and businesses with environmental benefits, specifically in the renewable energy sector and green roof systems.</p>
<p>Earlier, Mercom reported that Sunseap group acquired a minority stake in <a href="https://mercomindia.com/sunseap-acquires-minority-stake-todae-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Todae Solar</a>, an Australian commercial and industrial engineering, procurement and construction solar company. In India, the company, in a joint venture with Charisma Energy, has a 140 MW solar project in Rajasthan which has been in operation since August 2017.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://mercomindia.com/kimberley-clark-power-singapore-huggies-solar/">May</a> this year, U.S.-based personal consumer items manufacturer <a href="https://www.kimberly-clark.com/en/company/leadership" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kimberly-Clark</a> switched to solar power through the installation of a rooftop PV installation that would generate nearly 15% of the electricity consumed by its Huggies diaper and baby wipe factory in Tuas, Singapore. This installation was done by Sunseap.</p>
<p>According to Sunseap’s portfolio, it operates through five key units: Sunseap Leasing, Sunseap International and Sunseap Energy, Sunseap Engineering, and Sunseap Solutions. Sunseap International targets markets in the South East Asian and Pacific regions. These include a 168 MW solar farm in Vietnam, a 140 MW solar farm in India, and a 10 MW solar farm in Cambodia.</p>
<p>In May this year, Mercom also reported that <a href="https://mercomindia.com/singapores-united-overseas-bank-no-coal-lending/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United Overseas Bank</a>, which is Southeast Asia’s third-largest finance group and Singapore’s third-largest bank, would stop funding coal powered projects.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/anjana/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Anjana Parikh</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Anjana2.png" width="112" height="121" />Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.</p>
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