Parameters for solar PV power Projects / Renewable Hybrid Energy Projects / Renewable energy with storage project

‘Renewable energy source’ means and includes sources of renewable energy such as hydro, wind, and solar, including its integration with combined cycle, biomass, biofuel cogeneration, urban or municipal waste, and such other sources as recognised or approved by the Central Government.

‘Solar PV power project’ means a project that uses sunlight for direct conversion into electricity through photovoltaic technology and is based on technologies such as crystalline silicon, thin film, or any other technology as approved by MNRE.

‘Storage’ means an energy storage system utilizing methods and technologies like solid state batteries, flow batteries, pumped storage, compressed air, fuel cells, hydrogen storage or any other technology to store various forms of energy and to deliver the stored energy in the form of electricity.

‘Tariff period’ for renewable energy projects will be the same as their Useful Life, and the tariff period shall be considered from the date of commercial operation of such power projects.

‘Renewable energy with storage project’ means a combination of renewable energy projects with storage or a combination of renewable hybrid energy projects with storage at the same inter-connection point;

‘Renewable hybrid energy project’ means a renewable energy project that produces electricity from a combination of renewable energy sources connected at the same inter-connection point;

'Project' means a generating station or an evacuation system up to an inter-connection point, as the case may be, and in the case of a small hydro project, includes all components of the generating facility such as a dam, intake water conductor system, power generating station and generating units of the scheme, as apportioned to power generation.

Capital Cost Project specific capital costs considering the prevailing market trends.

Capacity Utilisation Factor

Provided that the minimum capacity utilization factor for solar PV power projects shall be 21%

Provided further that the minimum capacity utilization factor for solar thermal power projects shall be 23%

Provided also that the minimum capacity utilisation factor for floating solar projects shall be 19%

Operation and Maintenance expenses

shall determine only project specific O&M expenses considering the prevailing market trends.

Auxiliary Consumption

Provided that the maximum auxiliary consumption for solar PV power projects shall be 0.75%

Provided further that the maximum auxiliary consumption for solar thermal power projects shall be 10%

Provided also that the maximum auxiliary consumption for floating solar projects shall be 0.75%.

Renewable Hybrid Energy Projects

Capacity Utilisation Factor : Provided that the minimum capacity utilization factor for renewable hybrid energy projects shall be 30% when measured at the inter-connection point, where the energy is injected into the grid.

Storage Efficiency

Provided that the minimum efficiency for storage based on the technology of solidstate batteries shall be 85%

Efficiency of the storage component of renewable energy with a storage project shall be measured as the ratio of output energy received from storage and input energy supplied to the storage component of such project on an annual basis.

Useful Life : in relation to the project, including a dedicated evacuation system, from the date of commercial operation of such project, shall mean the following

Solar PV power project/ floating solar project/Solar thermal power project - 25 years

1- Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF):-

The capacity utilization factor (CUF) is a way of measuring how effectively a solar power plant uses its installed capacity over a given time frame, usually a year. In other words, the capacity utilization factor (CUF) is the ratio of the actual electrical energy produced to the maximum energy that can be produced in a certain period of time 5. It reflects the module’s actual performance in real-world conditions, accounting for factors like location, weather patterns, shading, and equipment efficiency. A high CUF indicates that the module is effectively utilizing its rated capacity, while a lower CUF suggests that external factors may be limiting its performance.

CUF Calculation Formula:

CUF = Actual Energy Generated (kWh) / (Rated Capacity (kW) x Hours in Time Period)

Where:

Actual Energy Generated is the total kWh of electricity produced by the solar plant over the given time period

Rated Capacity is the nameplate capacity of the plant in kW

Hours in Time Period is the total number of hours in the time period being measured

For example, if a 10 MW solar power plant generates 16,000,000 kWh of electricity over a year with 8760 hours, the CUF calculation would be

CUF = 16,000,000 kWh / (10,000 kW x 8760 hours)

= 16,000,000 / 87,600,000

= 0.183 or 18.3%

In this example, the solar plant operated at a CUF of 18.3% over the year. This means it produced 18.3% of the maximum possible energy it could have produced if it operated at its full 10 MW capacity continuously over the entire year.

The CUF provides a normalized measure of the plant’s actual productivity over a period of time compared to its theoretical maximum capability. It is an important performance parameter to track both for plant operators and investors.

2-Performance Ratio (PR):-

The Performance Ratio (PR) is a measure of how efficiently a solar power plant converts available sunlight into electricity. It shows the percentage difference between the plant’s actual and maximum output of electricity. It takes into account losses due to various factors, including temperature, shading, and system inefficiencies. Although obtaining 100% is not possible due to unavoidable losses, a greater performance ratio indicates more efficient operation.

PR Calculation Formula:-

PR = Actual Energy Output(Kwh/year) / Theoretical Maximum Energy Output(Kwh/year) x 100%.

Where:

· Actual Output is the total electricity generated by the solar power plant in a given period (usually a year).

· Installed Capacity is the total capacity of the solar panels in kilowatts (kW).

· Irradiance is the average solar energy received per square meter in a given period.

Example:

Suppose a 1MW (1000 kWp) solar power plant produces 1,300,000 kWh of electricity in a year with an average solar irradiance of 5 kWh/m²/day.

A PR value closer to 1 indicates higher efficiency.

PV system performance ratio (PR, in %) and total annual energy yield (in kWh/kWp/year).