Sustainability Outlook Headlines

India to install 4.8GW utility-scale solar in 2016, southern states to dominate

India will install 4.8GW of utility-scale solar capacity in 2016, up 140% from 2GW in 2015, according to the latest market update from consultancy firm Bridge to India.

During this year, the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka are expected to contribute nearly 80% of all new capacity additions.

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DNV GL debuts GRIDSTOR energy storage standard

Environmental auditing and certification giant DNV GL has announced the launch of a new industry standard for energy storage systems.

The programme, dubbed GRIDSTOR Recommended Practice, will offer an... Read more..

From Green Bonds to Green Boom: What China’s New Green Bond Rules Mean for Sustainable Investment

China has become the first country in the world to issue official rules on issuing “green bonds” — bonds that are dedicated to financing sustainable solutions. The new rules are aimed at kickstarting a booming green bond market in China to raise much-needed capital from the private sector globally to invest in the country’s transition to a green economy.

The Green Bond Guidelines and the Green Bond Endorsed Project Catalogue were published by the People’s Bank of China and the Green Finance Committee of China Society of Finance and Banking on 22 December 2015. These government-... Read more..

Now, you can get someone to fund your solar rooftop plant

Have a large rooftop but not the financial resources to install a solar plant that could earn you some profit? There is sunlight at the end of this tunnel. You can now rope in a developer or financer to fund the project.

In bid to boost power generation from solar energy by roping in more of its consumers to install rooftop solar plants, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has introduced a... Read more..

Peraje in Dakshina Kannada aspires to be first solar-powered village in India

An action plan of Rs 1.44-crore prepared by Peraje Solar Lamp Implementation Committee in Peraje village of Puttur taluk could well set the tone for making Dakshina Kannada the first complete solar powered district in India. The committee on Friday handed over the action plan prepared by it to the deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim and chief executive officer of Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat P I Sreevidya.

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Rooftop solar projects to get $1.5 billion foreign aid

The World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the New Development Bank formed by the BRICS nations are providing loans to boost India's rooftop solar programme.

"We are getting $500 million (Rs 3,345 crore) from each of them to fund rooftop solar projects, mostly in the industrial and commercial sector," said Upendra Tripathy, secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).The loans are likely to... Read more..

India secures USD 1.5bn to spur rooftop PV deployment - report

In line with the efforts of the central government of India, three multinational financial institutions will provide a combined USD 1.5 billion (EUR 1.38bn) to accelerate the local rooftop solar segment’s development, The Economic Times said Friday.

Each of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the New Development Bank has committed to lend USD 500 million in support of such projects, Ministry of... Read more..

Delhi rail company signs MoU with SECI for 500MW of solar

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has signed an MoU with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to work together on developing an initial 500MW capacity of off-site solar projects over three years.

DMRC is aiming to mitigate the effects of regular increases in grid tariffs.

Both entities will... Read more..

BS VI fuel norms will reduce vehicular emission by 51%: Study

Vehicular emission may come down by up to 51 per cent with the introduction of BS VI fuel norms, electric and hybrid vehicles and retro-fitment in diesel exhausts, an IIT Kanpur study has said.

The observations have been made in a presentation to Home Minister Satyender Jain and Environment Minister Imran Hussain by the scientists involved in the study from 2013 to 2015.

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Solar lamps in city parks to reduce energy bill

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided to install lamps to be lit with solar energy in all the parks maintained by it to reduce electricity bills. Of the 652 parks in the city, 16 has been selected for the first phase, Member, Mayor-in-Council, Parks and Gardens, Debashis Kumar today said.

Kumar said the monthly electricity bill of a park is between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000 and the authorities want to... Read more..

IIFCL plans to raise Rs2,000 crore from bonds this quarter

State-owned India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) is planning to raise about Rs.2,000 crore from taxable bonds this quarter for project lending.

“Our board has given approval for raising Rs.10,000 crore over the next few months in tranches. In the first tranche we will do Rs.1,500-2,000 crore through bonds issuance,” IIFCL deputy managing director Sanjeev Kaushik told PTI.

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K Raheja Group to pump in Rs 525 cr in next 3 years

In a massive expansion drive, retail major K Raheja Group, which runs Shoppers Stop and Hypercity chain of stores, will invest around Rs 525 crore over the next three years to expand network and integration of online and offline sales channels.

The group plans to add up to three stores of its mega store format Hypercity and 6-7 of Shoppers Stop every year.

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