Despite headway made in recent years, the decentralised renewable energy sector is still at an early stage and investing in this sector presents the significant challenge of matching the type and scale of finance offered by investors with the finance needs of small-scale energy access for unelectrified households.

Consultations in the Philippines have called for “establishing an enabling environment for mini-grids” to expand energy access and increase national energy security based on renewable sources and technologies.

As solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems become increasingly competitive, continued market growth depends on assurances of performance and durability. Quality assurance protects and accelerates future PV investments, lowers capital costs, improves performance, extends module lifespans and lowers the resulting electricity costs.

This joint UNDP and Asia Development Bank report ‘Initial Assessment of Sri Lanka’s Power Sector – Electricity Generation through 100 per cent Renewable Energy’ describes the technical challenges to meet this ambitious 100 per cent renewables target and how this target could be financed.

Power grids operators around the world have been experiencing challenges in operating the grid with increasing penetration of Variable Generation (VG) sources like Solar PV and Wind. Variability in one form of generation must always be compensated with other forms of generation at all times to ensure grid stability.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy has rapped the government for its ‘dismal performance’ in setting up solar energy systems at defence establishments. These observations were made in the 28th report of the committee titled National Solar Mission – An Appraisal.