There has been an increase in the number of projects being built worldwide in renewable energy sector. As the projected dates for commercial operation are pushed back by the project stakeholders, there is an increasing need to make speedy progress. The industry has been witnessing ground-breaking construction methods that have significantly decreased the construction time by implementing new work methodologies, different raw materials, and advanced planning. With this surge, EPC contractors are implementing a variety of designs to swiftly navigate the construction process.
With this increase, there has also been a sharp rise in the practise of rushing through thesteps necessary to produce the desired outcomes. This has resulted in subpar standalone infrastructure being built, as well as associated infrastructure that has required reworks or occasionally has had plant equipment installed on it affected.
Construction of the plant is currently taking place on recently chosen land profiles, which are quite uneven and undulating, necessitating either erecting the infrastructure on a raised ground or on a backfilled area. Before beginning any building on top of the backfilled soil, it is crucial to stabilise the soil adequately and conduct appropriate tests at the locations where the backfilled soil is employed. Since layer wise backfilling is a labour-intensive and time-consuming, the industry has not been strict about backfilling process that makes infrastructure vulnerable to settlements.
During their routine visits to building sites around the world, SgurrEnergy has seen a number of such instances and has urged project proponents to use an organised technique to ensure the stability and endurance of the infrastructure developed.

The planned mounting of medium voltage panel may become unstable as a result of the settling, and it may unintentionally increase pressure on the contact points of cable terminations and the busbar system, which could increase temperature at cable termination points and cause flashovers.

Damage to the plinth protection makes the inverter station susceptible to water infiltration inside the cable trench thereby increasing the likelihood of cable insulation failures and unintentional circuit tripping.

Caving in the soil close to the foundation can cause instability in the transmission line's foundation, which can tilt or settle the foundation and cause the transmission line conductor to snap as a result of increasing strain on the conductors, resulting in power outages.
In order to ensure the built-in quality of the infrastructure test over the course of the project lifecycle by minimising the downtime of the built-in plant, SgurrEnergy deploys their experienced project management team at project site during construction of large-scale renewable energy projects around the world. This team continuously monitors and consults for the construction methodologies, steps involved in construction, and effective implementation of testing procedure for developing sustainable plant infrastructure.

In an era defined by the challenges of a changing climate, the imperative to anticipate and mitigate its potential risks has never been greater. As a forward-thinking organization committed to sustainable progress, SgurrEnergy recently embarked on a ground breaking Climate Risk Assessment study to illuminate the vulnerabilities that lie ahead and fortify strategies for a resilient and robust infrastructure of a prestigious Solar Park in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Key Insights

• Setting the Stage- Prioritizing the need to gain a comprehensive understanding of
  the potential Climatic risks a Solar Park may face.
• A Holistic Approach- The assessment encompassed a wide spectrum of factors,
  from the direct impact on the Infrastructure, Energy generating assets and Energy
  generation potential and supply chains to the potential ripple effects on local
  communities and the economy.
• Data Driven Insights- Central to our assessment was the rigorous collection and analysis of data. This data-driven approach allowed us to unveil the nuanced dynamics of climate risk.
• Identifying Vulnerabilities- By critically evaluating potential hazards, we mapped out scenarios that could impact the revenue continuity, stakeholder relationships, and long-term sustainability.
• Collaboration and Expertise- We engaged with cross-functional teams, partnered with climate scientists, and consulted with local communities. This multidisciplinary collaboration enriched our assessment, ensuring that we captured the full spectrum of potential impacts.
• Building Resilience Through Solutions- While identifying vulnerabilities isessential, our focus was equally on cultivating adaptive solutions. These solutions were crafted to both shield us from potential risks and empower us to thrive in a changing environment.
• Charting a Sustainable Course- By weaving climate considerations into our strategic fabric, we are not merely adapting to change – we are actively shaping it.As our organization moves forward, we embrace the lessons from the said assessment. It is a testament to our unwavering commitment to navigate uncharted waters, inspire change, and ensure that the trajectory we set today aligns harmoniously with the needs of tomorrow.

Climate change significantly influences the precipitation pattern of the Area of Impact (AOI) for Solar Power Plants. This influence eventually poses risks to the power generation, inadequacy of the generating assets and damage to the associated infrastructure of the project.
Hydrological Risk Assessment being a critical component of solar power plant design, involves the identification of potential hazards and design mitigation strategies. Considering Climate Change scenarios during hydrological risk assessment for solar power is highly important due to the following reasons: –

1. Changes in precipitation levels can lead to water unavailability and increased runoff. Design of water storage and drainage systems for solar PV system needs to be reviewed and vetted beforehand to ensure resilience. It may lead to more intense and frequent rainfall events.
Higher precipitation intensity can overwhelm drainage systems and increase the risk of localized flooding. Climate change can also cause shifts in the distribution of rainfall, affecting the timing and geographic patterns of precipitation. This can lead to changes in river flow regimes and impact flood risk in different regions. Incorporating these changes in the flood risk assessments helps identify areas prone to increased or decreased flood risk. The flood risk assessment must consider these changes in precipitation patterns to accurately assess the likelihood and severity of flooding.
2. Changes in temperature can lead to changes in evaporation rates, and streamflow. This can impact the design of water management systems for solar power plants.
3. Increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events: Climate change may cause an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as floods and droughts. This can impact the design of flood and drought mitigation strategies for solar power plants.
4. Sea-level rise: Sea-level rise caused by climate change can impact coastal solar power plants  by increasing the risk of flooding and saltwater intrusion into freshwater resources.
5. Changes in water quality: Climate change can impact water quality, which can affect the performance and lifespan of solar panels. Increased water temperature and changes in nutrients can impact the module cleaning process.

To suggest efficient mitigation measures, it is important to consider the potential impact of climate change on hydrological systems and accordingly design solar power plants that are resilient to these changes. This can be done by incorporating climate projections into the design and operation of solar power plants and developing robust water management and flood mitigation strategies.

Figure: 1 Major steps typically included in hydrological climate change impact assessment

1. Analysis of historical climate data to understand the baseline climate conditions and identification of trends or patterns. This includes examining long-term precipitation records, temperature data, and other relevant climate variables.
2. For the potential climate change scenarios, These scenarios are typically derived from global climate models and include tentative projections of temperature, precipitation, and other climate variables based on different greenhouse gas emissions pathways. An appropriate climate change scenario that aligns with the region and time frame of interest is selected.
3. The coarse-scale climate model outputs are downscaled to a finer resolution that is suitable for hydrological modeling. This can be achieved through statistical or dynamical downscaling techniques, which help capture local-scale climate patterns and variations. Downscaling methods bridge the gap between the global climate models and the local-scale hydrological model.
4. The downscaled climate data is preprocessed to make it suitable for hydrological modeling. This may involve aggregating the data to the appropriate temporal and spatial resolution, addressing biases or inconsistencies, and ensuring the compatibility of climate variables with the hydrological model inputs.
5. This downscaled climate data comprising of the future scenarios are then considered for simulating the hydrological response under these changed climate conditions.
6. The impacts of climate change on flooded areas are then evaluated followed by a comparison of the results obtained from simulations under different climate change scenarios to the baseline conditions. This eventually helps identify the changes in hydrological patterns, shifts in flow regimes, and potential risks related to water resources management.
7. Based on the findings from the impact assessment, adaptation strategies are developed to address the potential effects of climate change on water resources. These strategies may include improvement in water management practices, infrastructure design, and policies to enhance resilience and adapt to changing hydrological conditions.

Capacitor Banks or STATCOM for better Power Factor Correction

Reactive power compensation is an essential aspect of electrical power systems. Reactive power is the power that flows back and forth between the source and load without doing any useful work. It is required to maintain the voltage level in the system and to create the magnetic field necessary for the operation of motors, transformers, and other inductive loads.

However, a high level of reactive power can result in several problems in the power system, including:

• • Reduced efficiency: A high level of reactive power can reduce the overall efficiency of the power system. This is because the transmission lines and transformers have to handle more current to deliver the same amount of power, resulting in higher losses.
  • Voltage drop: Reactive power causes voltage drops in the system, which can lead to reduced performance of electrical equipment and can cause equipment to malfunction or fail.
  • Low power factor: A low power factor means that a high proportion of the power supplied to the load is not being used for useful work, resulting in increased energy costs.

Reactive power compensation can help mitigate these problems by balancing the reactive power in the system. It involves the use of equipment such as capacitors, reactors, and static VAR compensators (SVCs) to supply or absorb reactive power as required to maintain a stable voltage and power factor.

By compensating for reactive power, the power system can operate more efficiently, with improved voltage regulation, reduced power losses, and increased capacity. It can also help to reduce electricity bills, improve power quality, and reduce the environmental impact of power generation.

As per the MOM released by CEA on 21st April 2023 for the meeting held on 13th April 2023. It was mentioned that there were 28 incidents involving loss of more than 1000 MW RE generation in the grid since January 2022. The grid events that occurred are categorized into three main categories.

• • Overvoltage during switching operation
  • Fault in vicinity of RE complex
  • Low frequency oscillations in RE complex

The analysis of these grid events revealed that both under the steady and dynamic states, varying reactive power support from VRE was found to be one of the contributing factors.

As the requirement of dynamic reactive power compensation is very clearly mentioned in the Technical Standards for Connectivity to the Grid, (Amendment), regulations, 2012-clause B2-1-published on dated 15th October 2013.

Clause B2-1 mentioned that ‘’the generating station shall be capable of supplying dynamically varying reactive power support so as to maintain power factor within the limits of 0.95 lagging to 0.95 leading’’.

In MOM it is mentioned that the above provision of the CEA connectivity regulations was not being complied in totality. Grid-India submitted that the dynamically varying reactive support is necessary during transient conditions such as LVRT or HVRT and also it was explained that the fixed capacitor banks can provide reactive power support only during steady state and also the support is delivered in steps after time delay.

The transient effects associated with the activation of a capacitor bank can have a significant impact on the stability and performance of the power system. Considering the above-mentioned facts and the advantages listed below, SgurrEnergy recommends the use of dynamic reactive power compensation using additional Inverters, STATCOM, or SVG over the use of capacitor banks.

Advantages over capacitor banks-

• • Dynamic response: Inverters, STATCOM or SVG can respond to changes in the power factor much faster than capacitor banks. This is because they use power electronics to adjust the reactive power, while capacitor banks have a fixed reactive power value.
  • No resonance issues: Capacitor banks can create resonance issues when the frequency of the system is close to the resonance frequency. This device does not have this issue as it operates on a different principle.
  • Wide operating range: Inverters, STATCOM or SVG this device can operate over a wide range of reactive power and voltage levels, while capacitor banks have limited operating ranges.
  • Harmonic suppression: Inverters, STATCOM or SVG can also suppress harmonics, which are undesirable distortions in the power system. Capacitor banks do not have this capability.
  • Smaller size: SVG is generally smaller in size compared to capacitor banks, which can be important in space-constrained applications.

Overall, the mentioned technology (Inverters, STATCOM or SVG) is a more versatile and efficient technology compared to capacitor banks for power factor correction and other related applications.

Optimization of Pumped Storage Plant (PSP) with Wind-Solar Hybrids

Renewable energy sources like solar and wind power are crucial for sustainability, but their variable nature can lead to wasted energy and curtailment. Curtailment, which restricts power off-take, remains a persistent challenge for renewable developers. The intra-hour variability of solar and wind energy sources poses challenges for their seamless integration into the grid. Solar energy generation is influenced by factors such as cloud cover and shading, causing fluctuations in output within short time intervals. Similarly, wind energy generation is affected by wind-speed/direction variations, resulting in intermittent power supply.

Figure 1 illustrates the intra hour variability of solar irradiation and wind speed for certain day of the year. The high variability of these renewable sources can strain grid stability, necessitating advanced forecasting, grid management, and energy storage solutions. Accurate prediction of intra-hour variability enables better grid balancing and integration of solar and wind power, minimizing the need for backup generation and enhancing grid reliability. Effective management of this variability is crucial for maximizing renewable energy utilization and ensuring a smooth transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy system.

The inter-annual variation in solar and wind generation refers to the year-to-year fluctuations in the amount of electricity generated from these renewable sources. This variability is influenced by factors such as weather patterns, seasonal changes, and climate variations. Figure 2 illustrates the inter annual variation of generation from solar and wind for typical plants. The impact of inter-annual variation on grid integration can be significant, as it requires careful management and planning to ensure a reliable and stable electricity supply. Utilities and grid operators need to account for these fluctuations and implement strategies such as diversified renewable portfolios, energy storage systems, and flexible grid management techniques to mitigate the effects of inter-annual variation and maintain grid stability.

To overcome this, energy storage systems are vital, with pumped hydro energy storage being a prominent solution. Pumped hydro storage allows excess renewable energy to be stored and used during periods of high demand. By mitigating curtailment and optimizing energy utilization, pumped hydro storage enhances grid performance and enables higher renewable penetration. Its role in addressing the variability of renewable generation contributes to a more sustainable energy system and fosters the transition to a low-carbon future.

Pumped hydro energy storage involves using excess energy to pump water to a higher elevation, creating potential energy. During times of high demand, this stored water is released, flowing downhill and driving turbines to generate electricity. This method offers several advantages, such as high efficiency, long lifespan, and large-scale storage capacity. Additionally, pumped hydro energy storage can help stabilize the grid by balancing fluctuations in renewable energy generation and demand, contributing to a more reliable and sustainable energy system.

Pumped hydro energy storage can be analogized to a battery model with several key elements. Figure 3 illustrates the analogy between battery and pump hydro energy storage. The potential energy of water in an elevated reservoir represents the voltage of a battery, while the height or head of the water corresponds to the state of charge (SOC) of the battery. The flow rate of water during pumping and generation operations reflects the charging and discharging currents of a battery. Just as there are losses in a battery due to internal resistance, head losses occur in pumped hydro systems due to friction and turbulence in the water flow. Additionally, evaporation of water can be seen as a capacity reduction factor in batteries, similar to how temperature variations impact battery performance. These analogies help us understand the operation, limitations, and characteristics of pumped hydro energy storage systems in relation to battery technologies.

The analysis involves a comprehensive assessment of the electricity system, starting with an hourly load profile that captures the dynamic nature of electricity demand, including seasonal variations and daily fluctuations. The inherent variability of irradiation and wind speed needs to be accounted for in the modeling approach, ensuring accurate assessment of solar and wind energy generation. Specific losses, such as clipping and temperature loss for solar farms, and wake losses for wind farms, are required to be meticulously simulated. This comprehensive assessment allows for project feasibility evaluation and optimization of energy storage systems like pumped hydro storage to tackle variability and curtailment challenges considering the various boundary conditions. Informed decision-making and efficient utilization of renewable energy sources are enabled through such precise modeling techniques.

To assess the long-term performance, the yearly generation from the PHES system is extrapolated to a 25-year period. Figure 4 illustrates the optimization approach adopted for the assessment of hybrid capacities. This projection takes into account crucial factors such as capital expenditure (CAPEX), operational expenditure (OPEX), discount rate, etc. By considering these parameters, metrics such as the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), levelized cost of storage (LCOS), and utilization factors can be calculated, providing valuable insights into the economic viability and efficiency of each combination of solar, wind, and pumped hydro capacity. This comprehensive analysis facilitates informed decision-making by considering multiple factors and optimizing the plant capacity for cost-effectiveness, optimal utilization, and sustainable energy generation.

The utilization factor of pumped hydro storage is crucial for efficient energy utilization. However, non-collocated projects face the risk of under-utilization if the generation-storage-dispatch profile is not accurately planned. This poses threats such as excess curtailment, wasted energy, financial implications, and hindrance to renewable integration. Accurate planning and optimization are vital to mitigate these risks, ensuring optimal utilization and maximizing the benefits of pumped hydro storage.

Bifacial Gains for Fixed Tilt Systems

Bifacial panels are equipped with solar cells on both sides, allowing them to capture sunlight from the front and rear surfaces simultaneously. This innovative design has gained popularity due to recent advancements in manufacturing processes, making them a strong competitor to their monofacial counterparts.

To measure the performance of bifacial solar panels, two key metrics are used: Bifaciality factor and bifacial gain. Bifaciality factor represents the ratio of energy output from the back side of a bifacial panel to the energy output from the front side. On the other hand, bifacial gain measures the percentage increase in energy output of a bifacial panel compared to a Monofacial panel under the same conditions. It demonstrates the panel’s ability to capture and convert light from both sides.

For fixed tilt system projects located in India, the current bifacial gain typically ranges from 3% to 10%. Achieving this gain relies on three fundamental parameters. The most significant parameter is the amount of irradiance received on the rear side and is dependent on the parameters illustrated in the figure above. Furthermore, this in-turn has an impact on area utilized, tonnage of module mounting structures (MMS) and cabling; therefore, it is the skill of the designer to optimize the configuration based on trade-off occurring between the energy gain and the overall impact on plant BOS. SgurrEnergy has the capability to optimize a bifacial based fixed tilt system such that this is realized in terms of least LCOE considering geographical and climatic conditions.

A major parameter that affects the bifacial gain of a solar panels is the albedo, which measures the reflecting power of a surface. Albedo values vary depending on the type of terrain and can fluctuate throughout the year. Different types of surfaces have varying typical albedo values, which have been mentioned in a table below. The third parameter is the view factor, which affects the Bifaciality gain of the solar panel and is directly linked to the positioning and geometry of the solar panels relative to the ground.

To analyze the Bifacial gain from an analytical standpoint, the concept of the normalized height-aspect ratio is often employed. This method ensures that the size of the panel does not matter as long as it is installed at a certain distance from the ground. The higher the panel is installed, the wider the area it can capture sunlight from, resulting in more energy production.

Additionally geometric factors can impact the bifacial gain in fixed tilt condition. One such factor is the obliquity of solar rays impacting the collector, which increases when using a two-panel array compared to a single panel array. This obliquity variation results in less intense reflected irradiance captured by the cells. Additionally, rear mismatch and rear shading factor are two primary parameters that contribute to the adjustment of captured irradiance.

Moreover, the bifacial gain can be further improved by optimizing the installation process based on factors such as open field installations with ample ground space, high albedo or reflective surfaces, fluctuating weather conditions, and a focus on maximizing energy yield and cost-effectiveness.

Bifacial solar panels have become more cost-effective in recent years due to advancements in the manufacturing process. They offer numerous advantages over Monofacial panels, including higher energy yield and stable production; with the difference in costing over monofacial being negligible.

Implementing a bifacial fixed tilt system based on these factors can help optimize energy output, enhance system efficiency, and achieve long-term economic benefits. However, installing bifacial panels with a higher support structure requires consideration of other technical factors such as soil type and wind load.

In conclusion, bifacial solar panels offer significant advantages over their Monofacial counterparts and have the potential to make a significant contribution to the solar industry. By continuing to optimize their design and manufacturing processes and by considering the best installation practices, bifacial panels can continue to evolve and offer even more benefits in the future.

India races toward Net Zero Target of 2070

India’s peak demand this summer is pegged at 229GW; by these estimates it will easily surpass the last year peak demand, and with years to come energy demand will increase. With post pandemic effects cooling off and supply chain issues easing out, India once again cobbles to achieve the set target of net zero by 2070.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in its latest statement on 05 April 2023 has announced a plan to add 250GW of renewable energy in the next five years to achieve its target of 500GW of clean energy by year 2030.

This is in line with “India’s Updated First Nationally Determined Contribution Under Paris Agreement”-August 2022 Submission to UNFCCC where 50% of the cumulative electric power installed capacity is planned to be achieved by non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
India currently boasts a total renewable energy capacity of approximately 175GW by the end of Feb 2023 which makes an approximately 42% of total energy mix and has committed to increase the energy mix to 50% of 820GW by year 2030.

With the latest statement, the energy mix from renewable energy would be increased from planned 50% by 2030 to approximately 61% by 2030, which is a major push by India to achieve its energy demands through renewable energy. SgurrEnergy observes this shift to be a major step, considering the non-renewable projects not being commissioned or sanctioned in recent past to make the remaining 50% of the energy mix of the basket.

It’s quite evident the industry will race to achieve the set targets for which Government of India has already taken slew of measurements which includes the announcement of the PLI scheme and providing the extension to implement ALMM for the project proponents.

This decision comes with its own risk of completing the projects on record time which will require an efficient use of quality man-power and the technology driven solutions in construction and quality monitoring which shall be engaged in ensuring the quality of the plant being built.

SgurrEnergy boasts a proven track record of providing quality monitoring and project management services through its in-house team that are assisted with agile real time technology driven data sets to be monitored, thereby ensuring the project works are completed on time by apprising the decision makers with the outcomes of the day to day activity being undertaken at the project work site.

We are quite optimistic in achieving the energy targets of the country and the world as a whole.

Reactive Power based LCOE Analysis

The renewable energy sector’s growth in the next 5 years is set to skyrocket according to International Energy Agency (IEA) report1 with Solar Photovoltaic (PV) energy technologies leading the way. This high penetration of Solar PV energy being fed into the electrical grid brings in its share of challenges and is making the grid more and more vulnerable, and unstable, which needs a definitive solution.

The presentation addresses one such challenge, of voltage profile improvement with reactive power compensation at the point of interconnection. The main concern is that solar PV plant PPA’s are with a rating of MWac/MWp and not MVA. IEEE Std 1547/UL 1741 compliant inverters will typically not have reactive power capability & operate with a unity power factor. Though modern inverters are, having the capacity to supply reactive power in the range of +0.8 lead/-0.8 lag, albeit the PV plant is rated based on the AC power supplied by the inverter at unity PF. This leads to an inherent error in the per-unit cost calculation, as when the inverter is providing the reactive power the active power is hampered.

The paper highlights a cost base analysis of various scenarios such as inverters working at unity power factor, plants working with capacitor banks compensation, plants working with an excess number of inverters & plants providing reactive power support with small reactive compensation equipment & a small number of extra inverters. It is concluded that the latter case is the most cost effective and economical.

Watch the whole video here.

Committed to Achieving the Global Vision of a Carbon-Neutral Planet

We have been featured in the APAC Business Headlines magazine Oct 2022 edition.

The planet is warming up. Sea levels are rising, glaciers are melting, cloud forests are dying, and wildlife is struggling to keep up. And the main driver of today’s warming is the increasing emission of greenhouse gases. It has become evident that the majority of the warming over the last century is caused by these heat-trapping gases known as greenhouse gases. Now, to avoid the worst effects of climate change, the world must reduce net carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2050. It also necessitates a rapid global deployment of renewable energy.

So, as the world progresses toward clean energy adoption and rapid energy transition, SgurrEnergy, a leading engineering consultancy specializing in renewable energy projects, has been an enabler in assisting corporations and governments worldwide in realizing their green energy goals. It offers unparalleled advisory, design and multidisciplinary engineering expertise in the development of sustainable engineering solutions, ensuring the highest quality while adhering to strict budget constraints, completing projects on time, and with favorable project economics. “SgurrEnergy’s advisory experts fully comprehend the challenges and dynamics of the global renewable energy industry and extend the thorough benefit to the project developers, owners, and lenders in developing and implementing high-performance renewable energy projects,” opines Arif Aga, the Director of SgurrEnergy.

Read the whole article here.

SECI Tender: Stark Difference in Results and the Need of Curated Analyses

SECI’s 500MW/1000MWh BESS Project was an ambitious tender floated that resulted in competitors bidding quotes that are poles apart. JSW Energy won the tender quoting a INR1.08 million/MW; on the other hand, the highest INR 2.29 million/MW offered by a seasoned player. The difference in quotes is more than 100%!

This signals the fact that curated modelling, analyses, and optimization of BESS is crucial to gain a competitive edge in energy storage bids. Furthermore, inclusion of RE sources: wind and solar in recent BESS bids, which have high intermittency can affect the hybrid mix and cumulative capital costs.

We help developers accurately size the hybrid mix: RE (PV + WIND) + BESS, by analyses of 20+ years’ time series data on a granular level for PV plants and Windfarms. 

Figure below illustrates the variability of State of Charge (SoC) when coupled with RE to meet peak demand.

We use 25-year simulations to optimally size batteries considering calendar and cyclic degradation profiles specific to OEM make and chemistry thereby removing uncertainties corresponding to “thumb rules” in BESS.