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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Demand for solar jobs is growing in response to clean-energy goals and government incentives.</li><li>Many entry-level solar jobs don't require higher education, and they offer on-the-job training.</li></ul>The solar industry has some of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-panel-industry-electricity-generation-us-eia-tariff-prices-trade-2024-2">fastest-growing occupations</a>, with jobs just in solar-panel installation in the US <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/ooh/fastest-growing.htm">expected to grow by 22%</a> by 2032.One reason is the desire to meet environmental goals. The US Department of Energy estimated in 2021 that the solar workforce could add over 1 million workers by 2035 to achieve the goal of decarbonizing the electrical grid.To support these goals, the federal Inflation Reduction Act provides tax credits for qualifying <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-renewable-energy-transition-solar-electric-vehicles-hit-records-2024-2">clean-energy investments</a>. <a target="_blank" href="https://unboundsolar.com/solar-information/state-solar-incentives">Many states</a> offer additional tax credits and rebates, and utility companies will sometimes cover some costs of solar installation.Individuals are looking to cash in on these incentives and avoid rising energy costs. The market-research company Grand View Research estimated that the size of the US residential solar market size was $7.5 billion in 2023. Corporations are getting in on the action, too: One year after the Inflation Reduction Act's passage, the White House said companies had announced more than $10 billion in solar-manufacturing investments.Compounding this demand is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-employment-2023/executive-summary">a skilled-labor shortage</a> across clean-energy sectors, including positions in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-crisis-national-shortage-construction-workers-job-demand-2024-5">installation and repair</a>. "We're such a nascent industry that there's just not a deep pool of folks who have all of the background needed to do all of the jobs," said Kate Collardson, a senior manager of residential operations at the solar company Omnidian.<h2 id="0bca2b28-7d7e-4b17-822e-fb52b66ffe4b">Solar jobs offer a low barrier to entry and high growth potential</h2>However, the shortage means there are many affordable, accelerated solar training programs designed to help people get their foot in the door. For example, this year Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee added a free four-week solar-installation program to its career-training lineup. Karl Wendt, the organization's career and technical academy director, said graduates leave with the basic certifications and experience needed to be useful installers.<div type="image" title="headshot of Karl Wendt wearing a dark blazer over a white button-up" height="1238" width="1214" msid="111410018" hostid="261" sizebytes="39538"></div>The mean hourly wage for solar installers in May 2023 was $25.55, which Wendt said was impressive given people can land those jobs with a high-school diploma and four weeks of training. "If you compare it to other jobs for that skill level and that time horizon, it's competitive," he said, adding that starting as an installer is a strong way to begin a green-technology career involving higher-level positions with higher compensation.Companies are increasingly willing to hire <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sustainability-jobs-skills-gap-energy-transition-solar-carbon-emissions-2023-11">less experienced employees</a> and offer them on-the-job training. Martin Pochtaruk, the CEO of the solar manufacturer Heliene, told Business Insider that many of his employees appreciated advancement opportunities. "Operators that come in at an entry level have become shift supervisors within a year," he told BI.Collardson added that people with backgrounds in areas such as marketing, engineering, and law could apply their skills to jobs at solar companies.<div type="image" title="headshot of Martin Pochtaruk wearing a gray blazer over a white button-up." height="620" width="482" msid="111410021" hostid="261" sizebytes="23804"></div><h2 id="adcd0715-2659-4953-b9d8-d7e30f321c6c">The solar industry can support long-term careers</h2>While Collardson acknowledged that specific solar jobs could grow or shrink as incentives and demands change, they said they believe there will <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-climate-jobs-skills-gap-linkedin-2024-6">always be jobs in the solar industry</a> for those willing to be flexible.Collardson said they see a lot of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-jobs-career-grow-pay-well-high-salary-2024">long-term promise</a> in their career path in operations and maintenance. "It doesn't matter how much solar we install on the planet — if the solar doesn't work, it doesn't mean anything," they said. "Operations and maintenance providers ensure that the solar is working."Wendt argued that training in solar now would help people get a head start in an industry that will continue to gain relevance. "You get in on the ground floor of anything that's growing very rapidly, and it's always going to be beneficial," he said.Pochtaruk said solar is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-passive-income-side-hustle-selling-electricity-neighbors-solar-panels-2023-12">far from a passing trend</a>. "This is not stopping," he said. "This is a force that is changing the way we work, the way we power our life, and, as such, is a great employment opportunity."

Solar jobs are in high demand and have a low barrier to entry — now is the time to break into the industry

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new law proposed by Germany will limit which solar producers are reimbursed when energy prices fall.</li><li>A renewable supply glut has caused prices to often fall into negative territory.</li></ul>An overload of solar power in Germany has piled up costs on the government, prompting a new draft law that would limit subsidies for the country's industry players, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-28/germany-to-cut-some-solar-farms-off-subsidies-amid-oversupply">Bloomberg</a> reported.The outlet cited fresh plans to restrict which producers will receive subsidies when energy falls below a fixed price. Given how often wholesale power prices have dropped into negative territory, this has been an issue for the state.The government has previously estimated that German renewable subsidies would <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-29/germany-s-climate-transition-costs-to-spiral-as-subsidies-double">reach $21.6 billion this year</a>.That's as the country's solar buildout has brought so much renewable energy online that wholesale power prices have frequently fallen below zero. This trend is especially evident during the <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/solar-panel-supply-german-electricity-prices-negative-renewable-demand-green-2024-5">sunny summer months</a> and has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-29/germany-s-climate-transition-costs-to-spiral-as-subsidies-double">ongoing throughout Europe</a>.However, since German producers are guaranteed to receive a minimum strike price, the government is responsible for covering the difference in prices. This so-called "feed-in tariff" reimburses renewable companies for contributing to the public grid.The new draft law seeks to limit which solar producers are required to sell their output to electric exchanges and, by extent, who is eligible for feed-in tariffs. Currently, plants with 100 kilowatts of capacity are required to participate. By the start of 2027, this will drop to 75 kilowatts.Also implemented is an earlier law that allows the government to withhold payments for mid-sized and large solar projects, anytime wholesale market prices turn negative, Bloomberg said.This could trigger uncertainty in a market that has ballooned since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an event that caused Europe to search for alternatives to Moscow's energy supply.Meanwhile, analysts have noted this year that supplementary investments in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/solar-panel-supply-german-electricity-prices-negative-renewable-demand-green-2024-5">battery technology and the electric grid</a> are needed if renewable energy is to escape negative pricing.

Germany's government is making life more difficult for solar farms that it often has to subsidize

<keyword id="19936674" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance" source="keywords" topicspecial.url="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/reliance-industries-ltd/stocks/companyid-13215.cms">Reliance</keyword> Industries Ltd, <keyword id="22746601" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indias-most-valuable-company" source="keywords">India's most valuable company</keyword>, plans to commission its first <keyword id="22746598" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="solar-giga-factory" source="keywords">solar giga-factory</keyword> in the current fiscal as it pivots a <keyword id="20534377" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-pathway" source="keywords">green pathway</keyword> to achieve <keyword id="20824969" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="net-zero-carbon-emissions" source="keywords">net zero carbon emissions</keyword> from operations by 2035. In its largest annual report, the firm said it is targeting to commission the first train of 20GW solar PV (photovoltaic) <keyword id="19914449" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="manufacturing" source="keywords">manufacturing</keyword> by the end of 2024-25 fiscal (April 2024 to March 2025) and scale up to 20GW in a phased manner over 2026. The solar giga factory will include manufacturing of <keyword id="22746599" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PV-modules" source="keywords">PV modules</keyword>, cells, wafers and ingots, polysilicon, and glass at a single location. The modules convert sunlight into electricity. It is also targeting industrialising <keyword id="22746600" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sodium-ion-cell-production" source="keywords">sodium-ion cell production</keyword> at the MW level in 2025 and first 50 MWh a year <keyword id="22746602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lithium-battery-cells" source="keywords">lithium battery cells</keyword> pilot in 2026. Reliance had in 2021 announced plans to invest USD 10 billion over three years to develop a new fuels business based on 100 GW of renewable power capacity by 2030. The plan involves setting up four giga factories for manufacturing renewables equipment, battery storage, fuel cells and hydrogen at Jamnagar in Gujarat. "We have made significant progress in establishing factories that will be part of our Integrated Solar PV Manufacturing," the firm said in the annual report. "New Energy will be commissioning its first train of Module and Cell Manufacturing in FY25." Solar panels manufactured in Jamnagar have obtained BIS certification. "Parallelly, work on <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords" topicspecial.url="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/renewable-energy">renewable energy</keyword> development has commenced and Reliance has been allotted land in Gujarat," it said. "We aim to become the largest renewable energy (RE) developer in India." Besides commissioning the first train of module and cell of 20GW of solar PV manufacturing, 2024-25 may also see industrialise sodium ion cell production at a MW level. Next year, PV factory is to be scaled to 20GW in a phased manner, and a battery giga factory starting with a 50 MWh a year lithium battery cells pilot set up. In FY27, it plans to establish a cell-to-pack manufacturing facility of 50 GWh and will set up 100 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. The 100GW target will propel the company into the front rank of renewables ambitions globally, joining the likes of Enel, Iberdrola and oil players TotalEnergies and BP in the scale of capacity additions envisaged. Reliance said fossil fuels have historically fed India's power requirements. "Structural inefficiencies combined with rising costs of fossil fuel has resulted in expensive power for commercial and residential customers - average tariff of Rs 10 per kWh (unit)." Therefore, it is not feasible for India to keep relying on fossil fuels for its growth, it said, adding the use of fossil fuels-based energy increases dependence on imports and results in drain of foreign exchange. "Stable and round-the-clock cost-efficient green power is the need of the hour. India needs to solve this problem to maintain its growth trajectory and reach USD 32 trillion GDP by 2047," it said. Reliance said over the next 12 months, its focus is to bring new energy manufacturing facilities on-stream, operate them efficiently and start developing renewable energy generation projects. "Simultaneously, we would develop the supply chain locally for self-sufficiency and reduce the reliance on imports," it said. The firm aims to partner leading global climate technology and product companies and develop a business model which is flexible and adaptable to different technologies and future proofed to be always lowest life cycle cost and best in class. Reliance has snapped up multiple partnerships in the clean energy space, such as solar and electric mobility, while pursuing its oil and petrochemical plans. Jamnagar, the world's biggest single-site integrated refinery complex, has two refineries -- one domestic-focused and a newer only for exports -- that together can process low-grade crude and switch between fuels depending on prices.

Reliance to commission first solar giga-factory in FY25

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Baiju Bhatt, the cofounder of trading app Robinhood, has a new space startup.</li><li>Aetherflux aims to launch a constellation of satellites to transmit solar power to Earth using infrared lasers.</li></ul>When Baiju Bhatt co-founded the stock trading app <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/robinhood-collapse-what-happened-retail-investing-meme-stocks-future-finance-2022-2">Robinhood</a> in 2013 with his college best friend, Vlad Tenev, the aim was to "democratize finance for all."Robinhood's no-fee, gamified approach to investing made capital markets more accessible than ever before, leading to an IPO in 2021.After over a decade at the company, Bhatt stood down as Robinhood's chief creative officer in March to pursue what was described at the time as "other entrepreneurial interests."In October, Bhatt announced he was launching Aetherflux, a Silicon Valley-based space startup.Aetherflux aims to create a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that will collect solar power and beam it down to receptors on Earth using infrared lasers.Just as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-starlink-spacex-satellite-internet-business-constellation-fleet-elon-musk-mars">Elon Musk's Starlink</a> constellation has transformed communications, Bhatt hopes Aetherflux will revolutionize energy, he told Business Insider in an interview.The receptors will be just 10 meters in diameter, Bhatt said, meaning they can be placed virtually anywhere and theoretically provide power to remote locations that would otherwise be too expensive or dangerous to reach."If we succeed, we unlock a renewable energy source for humanity that can be delivered virtually anywhere," he wrote in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/allow-me-re-introduce-myself-baiju-bhatt-nu1ic/?trackingId=xecx1MNjQxGa6fapJvT2fA%3D%3D">LinkedIn post</a> announcing Aetherflux.If it works, far more solar power can be captured in orbit than through the atmosphere at ground level, and there would be no nighttime or weather disruptions to the power source. It would also free up land used for solar farms on Earth.Aetherflux plans to start by powering military operations in remote locations or remote mining operations, Bhatt said.<div type="image" title="A profile of Baiju Bhatt smiling in a black t-shirt in front of a beige background." height="3553" width="5324" msid="114432481" hostid="261" sizebytes="611312"></div>Bhatt hopes that a single receptor will one day be able to capture enough power for a small neighborhood of homes. He added that they'd need around 100 satellites to provide continuous power to one location.The idea of space-based solar power has existed for decades, but theories have generally rested on large constructions being sent into orbit and using microwaves to transmit energy.In January 2023, the California Institute of Technology launched a solar space-power demonstrator satellite into orbit for a yearlong mission to test out a range of potential approaches.Caltech's president, Thomas F. Rosenbaum, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/space-solar-power-project-ends-first-in-space-mission-with-successes-and-lessons">said the project</a> had shown them that solar power beamed from space "is still a future prospect" but that it "should be an achievable future."Aetherflux wants to do things differently by using infrared lasers and a modular approach.The science has already been demonstrated; it's just going to be an engineering and economic feat to prove it can be done from space, Bhatt said.To begin with, Aetherflux plans to send a single satellite into orbit by the first quarter of 2026 to demonstrate that solar energy transmission is possible.<h2 id="f76e6857-d783-49d8-94bf-ab950b9759df">The right time to be in space</h2>Though the career jump from finance to the space industry may seem unusual, Bhatt said space has been his "lifelong calling."NASA was a part of Bhatt's childhood. His father moved to the US from India to pursue physics and got a job at NASA's Langley Research Center in the 1990s studying atmospheric sciences.With a bachelor's in physics and a master's in mathematics, both from Stanford, Bhatt thought he'd be a physicist too. So, Robinhood was a "bit of a detour," he told BI.He is still a board member but has stepped back from day-to-day operations.One lesson Bhatt said he learned from running the trading app was how powerful capitalism could be in accelerating innovation."If you can take a problem that's been stagnating and you can create a capitalist system around it where people can make money doing something, you'll see the rate of progress really speed up," he said.<div type="image" title="Baiju Bhatt (right) and Vlad Tenev, founders of the online brokerage Robinhood." height="4160" width="6240" msid="114432476" hostid="261" sizebytes="601100"></div>After meeting with people working on power for DARPA at the beginning of this year and seeing the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-spacex-starship-launch-five-huge-deal-space-travel-2024-10">timeline Starship is on</a>, Bhatt decided that the best opportunities were now in space.Since 2009, the sum of private investments in space startups has soared from essentially nothing to $327.3 billion, according to the latest "<a target="_blank" href="https://spacecapital.docsend.com/view/9d69zpfz4ddms3ry">Space Investment Quarterly</a>" report published by venture capital and angel-investment firm Space Angels.The industry's value is expected to continue booming. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/aerospace-and-defense/our-insights/space-the-1-point-8-trillion-dollar-opportunity-for-global-economic-growth">McKinsey</a> estimates that the global space economy will be worth $1.8 trillion by 2035, accounting for inflation, up from $630 billion in 2023."It's hard to find something more exciting and impactful than space," said Matthew Weinzierl, a professor of the economics of space at Harvard Business School and coauthor of the upcoming book "Space to Grow.""This really is a new frontier, one where technological innovation can create new markets and solve real problems, often in ways we haven't thought of before," he said.Weinzierl said that in the past two decades, the US government has created pathways for commercial players, enabling market forces to take hold."Prices to orbit have dropped, launch availability has soared, and a wave of entrepreneurs are finding new ways to create value," he said.<div type="image" title="SpaceX's Super Heavy booster as it returned to its launch site, with the sun rising in the background." height="1031" width="1920" msid="114432482" hostid="261" sizebytes="52022"></div>With so many more commercially available products, space has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starship-launch-success-elon-musk-vision-cheap-space-travel-closer-2024-3#:~:text=%22With%20Starship%2C%20SpaceX%20is%20poised,in%20an%20email%20on%20Thursday.">never been cheaper</a>.Aetherflux is an example of how companies are using off-the-shelf solutions to speed up development. Its satellites are purchased readymade from satellite bus provider <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/palmer-luckey-anduril-apex-defense-tech-space-satellite-surveillance-2024-10">Apex</a>, the high-powered lasers it plans to use are commercially available, and it'll be using <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-launch">SpaceX</a> as a launch partner for its 2026 mission."The part that we're building is the actual optical design, the control systems, and the power transmission link, as well as the ground station," said Bhatt.<h2 id="5dda5318-030a-431a-91ff-f205b537a068">The future of Aetherflux</h2>When he spoke with BI, Bhatt had just moved into a lab facility in the Bay Area. With a team of 10 employees, he will begin iterating ground tests, developing the system design, and working with regulators.He's self-funding the project "completely," he told BI. As one of Robinhood's cofounders, Bhatt's net worth spiked after its IPO in 2021. He is worth around $1.7 billion, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/baiju-bhatt/">Forbes reports.</a>Although access to space has become more routine and affordable, Weinzierl said there is still a lot of uncertainty around the industry. Some of the ideas and businesses being developed today won't survive, but they'll be "the foundation that tomorrow's entrepreneurs will learn from and build on," he said.A self-proclaimed science nerd, Bhatt named his startup after a 19th-century theory about a pervasive medium called the aether, which physicists believed light traveled through."Einstein came along in 1905 and was basically like, nah, that stuff's all wrong. Light is the same in every reference frame," said Bhatt.So Aetherflux is named after a disproven scientific theory? Yes, Bhatt agreed with amusement. But he's "laser-focused" on the first mission and adamant that Aetherflux won't fall into the same bracket as its namesake."Space is hard," he admitted, "but we're committed to demonstrating this and making it happen."

Robinhood's cofounder has joined the rapidly growing commercial space race, and wants to beam solar power from satellites to earth

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced a cut in customs duty on minerals such as lithium, copper and cobalt, which are critical for nuclear energy, renewable and other sectors, to give a fillip to the energy transition. In her budget speech in Lok Sabha, Sitharaman recalled that in the interim budget she had announced a strategy to sustain high and more resource-efficient economic growth, along with energy security in terms of availability, accessibility and affordability. "We will bring out a policy document on appropriate energy transition pathways that balances the imperatives of employment, growth and environmental sustainability," she said. Noting that minerals such as lithium, copper, cobalt and rare earth elements are critical for sectors like nuclear energy, <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">renewable energy</keyword>, space, defence, telecommunications, and high-tech electronics, she proposed to fully exempt customs duties on 25 critical minerals and reduce BCD (basic customs duty) on two of them. This will provide a major fillip to the processing and refining of such minerals and help secure their availability for these strategic and important sectors, she said. She stated that energy transition is critical in the fight against climate change. To support energy transition, she proposed to expand the list of exempted capital goods for use in the manufacture of solar cells and panels in the country. Further, she stated that in view of sufficient domestic manufacturing capacity of solar glass and tinned copper interconnect, I propose not to extend the exemption of customs duties provided to them. Noting that steel and copper are important raw materials and to reduce their cost of production, she proposed to remove the BCD on ferro nickel and blister copper. "I am also continuing with nil BCD on ferrous scrap and nickel cathode and concessional BCD of 2.5 per cent on copper scrap," she said. About the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which was rolled out earlier this year, he informed the House that in line with the announcement in the interim budget, PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana has been launched to install rooftop solar plants to enable 1 crore households obtain free electricity up to 300 units every month. The scheme has generated remarkable response with more than 1.28 crore registrations and 14 lakh applications, and we will further encourage it, he stated. She further stated that a policy for promoting pumped storage projects will be brought out for electricity storage and facilitating smooth integration of the growing share of renewable energy with its variable &amp; intermittent nature in the overall energy mix. She stated that nuclear energy is expected to form a very significant part of the energy mix for Viksit Bharat. Towards that pursuit, our government will partner with the private sector for setting up Bharat Small Reactors; research &amp; development of Bharat Small Modular Reactor and research &amp; development of newer technologies for nuclear energy, she informed the House. The R&amp;D funding announced in the interim budget will be made available for this sector, she added. The development of indigenous technology for Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) <keyword id="20421620" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="thermal-power" source="keywords">thermal power</keyword> plants with much higher efficiency has been completed, she informed the House. A joint venture between NTPC and BHEL will set up a full-scale 800 MW commercial plant using AUSC technology and the government will provide the required fiscal support, she added. Moving forward, the development of indigenous capacity for the production of high-grade steel and other advanced metallurgy materials for these plants will result in strong spin-off benefits for the economy, she pointed out. A roadmap for moving the 'hard to abate' industries from 'energy efficiency' targets to 'emission targets' will be formulated, she stated adding that appropriate regulations for the transition of these industries from the current 'Perform, Achieve and Trade' mode to 'Indian Carbon Market' mode will be put in place. She further stated that an investment-grade energy audit of traditional micro and small industries in 60 clusters, including brass and ceramic, will be facilitated. Financial support will be provided for shifting them to cleaner forms of energy and implementation of energy efficiency measures. The scheme will be replicated in another 100 clusters in the next phase, she stated. Gaurav Kedia, Chairman, Indian Biogas Association said that the <keyword id="19908389" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget" source="keywords">Union Budget</keyword> 2024 has unveiled a roadmap towards a sustainable and resilient India, with agriculture and energy security at its core. It is anticipated that these initiatives will catalyze the growth of the biogas industry, leading to increased rural employment, reduced carbon emissions, and improved soil health, he stated. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-25-changes-to-tax-slabs-increased-standard-deduction-and-other-changes-to-direct-taxation/articleshow/111951205.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-25-changes-to-tax-slabs-increased-standard-deduction-and-other-changes-to-direct-taxation/articleshow/111951205.cms" target="_blank">Budget 2024-25 – Changes to tax slabs, increased standard deduction and other changes to direct taxation</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/expectations-from-union-budget-2024-25-how-will-this-budget-impact-you/articleshow/111946291.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/expectations-from-union-budget-2024-25-how-will-this-budget-impact-you/articleshow/111946291.cms" target="_blank">Union Budget 2024-25: How will this budget impact you?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-record-allocation-of-rs-1-48-lakh-crore-for-education-employment-and-skilling/articleshow/111951228.cms">Budget 2024: Record allocation of Rs 1.48 lakh crore for education, employment and skilling!</a>

FM cuts customs duty on minerals critical for energy transition

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sunrun, the largest home solar installer, is pushing battery storage amid a downturn in the market.</li><li>High interest rates and policy changes in California are slowing demand for residential solar.</li></ul>The residential solar company Sunrun this month hit some milestones in what's otherwise been a bleak year for the industry.The company on Tuesday said it had 1 million residential solar customers and accounted for one in five home solar systems installed across the country. On a recent earnings call, Sunrun's CEO Mary Powell also said the company was selling a record amount of battery storage. More than half of new US sales in the latest quarter included solar and battery storage — what the company calls an "attachment rate." That figure is up from 12% a year ago.Still, the company isn't immune from a major slowdown in home solar sales. The slump was enough to force a competitor, SunPower, to file for bankruptcy protection this month. SunPower cited a combination of high interest rates and a policy change in California, the country's largest solar market. The company was also highly leveraged and struggled to raise more capital after some financial-reporting errors.In June, analysts at Wood Mackenzie forecast that homeowners nationwide will install 14% less solar power in 2024 than they did in 2023, marking the first time the market has contracted in five years. Zoë Gaston, a principal analyst on Wood Mackenzie's US distributed solar team, said the drop will likely be even larger following the exits of SunPower and another top installer, Titan Solar, from the industry.Driving the downturn is a new "net-metering" policy in California, where homeowners are getting paid less for sending electricity to the grid. The analysts estimate that California's market will contract by 40% this year, following a mad dash to install solar before those changes took effect in April 2023.High interest rates aren't helping either. Most homeowners finance their solar systems with a lease or a loan from companies like Sunrun. Higher rates on those long-term leases and loans mean less money saved on monthly utility bills, making solar less appealing."The days of easy money and low interest rates provided a lot of stimulus for demand," Brett Castelli, a clean-energy equity analyst at Morningstar, told Business Insider.Those days are over, he added, so some residential solar companies are focusing less on growth and more on cash flow after operating in the red.Powell told Business Insider that Sunrun had been focusing on boosting cash and a "battery-first" strategy in order to weather the solar-market headwinds. Sunrun is aiming for $200 million to $500 million in cash flow this year; historically it's been negative.She described the residential solar market this year as "distorted" because of the massive run-up in demand last year in California. But she speculated that it would adjust and then grow by at least 10% a year."Utilities don't have a solution for the future," Powell said, adding that <a target="_blank" href="https://l.businessinsider.com/a/click?_t=c8e10479a20f45bba5aad6c5f6fbb009&amp;_m=410907af3b41471e942f363124c7df5f&amp;_e=FH1nquVkvLfNWFzU_lJs7AfiLlVuT6tp-orYYxsiQ6Xb04sHPpCAri4s2sGvXpwgMOXKHrkz6fAZ5qhwQUqAN7ecYWspQ8eNmuBVPi4-oJZGY3DZPYLGfp_hwzKHsMpGsXu9MnCW07xSaqSSgUVU_naD-_XrZyHSN8fvD6Q_1mcZWLJJRUwme9UUf_Y-ocgDMDQjL0PS58nYKkpgOc8DTxCIvKp2Dw5T7VKntAN1HNHt32_HosEXg7Z81zY4XWq8UHeBdQ1ec0YwSVruC-j92AZ5h1NoIKQPn3NoqKEsWOUvB3ZYc8xbEl9dfiz-y4OaaxwujEvrpnlRKSgqXHGuPW44VrvTVXsKxjobl5e6jkuM8J1YU7mScSkza2XJNFJi_RbD0YUfEs1lR_WZwOnPFedTl0McEaarIC8dTt5c05odhMRNYJlHdHlI5nd2JGDAS453FqLVPoj3ud0mDseK7o8iWpQhwLkofncVVUWUEZ0%3D">customers are paying more for power but reliability is getting worse</a>. "That creates a systemic demand for solar and battery storage."Powell said regulators were pushing utilities to leverage residential renewable energy to stabilize the grid during periods of high demand, while homeowners want to have backup power as outages become more frequent because of extreme weather.Powell pointed to Sunrun's pilot projects in Texas, California, and Puerto Rico, where the company is monitoring its customers' stored solar power and sending it to the grid in times of high demand. Customers get paid for the energy, while Sunrun is paid for dispatching the batteries. In Maryland, Sunrun has partnered with three owners of electric Ford F-150s who charge at home to test how EV batteries can serve as back-up power.Castelli agreed with Powell's prediction that residential solar will grow in the long term, pointing to rising utility rates, the falling costs of equipment, and the likelihood of lower interest rates. But if states follow California's lead by making it less lucrative for homeowners to send electricity to the grid, demand could slow."The bottom line is the rooftop-solar industry needs to become more efficient," Castelli said. "The US has by far the highest cost for rooftop solar in the world. Through these changes and headwinds, companies are going out of business, and that's making the industry more efficient."

Residential solar is struggling. One company's add-on is helping it hit 1 million installations.

IPOs of <keyword id="22105289" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aasan-Loans" source="keywords">Aasan Loans</keyword> (<keyword id="22105288" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Akme-Fintrade" source="keywords">Akme Fintrade</keyword> India) and <keyword id="22105291" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="DEE-Piping-Systems" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="DEE Piping Systems" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="DEE Piping Systems">DEE Piping Systems</keyword> (DEE Development Engineers Limited) are set to hit the D-street for subscription today, and will close on Friday, 21st June. With a price band of Rs 114-Rs 120, Aasan Loans, which offers loans to rural and semi-urban populations, aims to raise 132 crores via a fresh issue of 1.1 crore shares. With its niche in vehicle and business financing, experts are advising staying away from the <keyword id="19898327" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPO" source="keywords">IPO</keyword>, given how competitive the Indian NBFC space is. The company also harbours significant NPAs, and has had some compliance issues in the past as well. The other mainboard IPO, <keyword id="22105286" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="DEE-Piping" source="keywords">DEE Piping</keyword> Systems, intends to raise Rs 418 crore via combination of fresh issue and offer for sale (OFS). While Rs 325 crores will be raised via fresh issue, Rs 93.01 crores will be raised via OFS. With its price band set between Rs 193-Rs 203, DEE specialises in providing piping solutions to oil, gas, chemicals and power industries. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="SME IPO dashboard" comment="subhead" text="SME IPO dashboard">SME IPO dashboard</cmsannotation> While these are mainboard IPOs, 3 small and medium enterprises (SME), namely <keyword id="22105292" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Falcon-Technoprojects-India" source="Orion">Falcon Technoprojects India</keyword>, <keyword id="22071172" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Durlax-Top-Surface" source="Orion">Durlax Top Surface</keyword> and <keyword id="22105290" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gem-Enviro" source="keywords">GEM Enviro</keyword> are also opening for subscription today. The company, which aims to raise Rs 13.69 crore, offers mechanical and plumbing services, which includes installing air conditioners, water supply and lighting systems. Its share price has been set at Rs 92. The other company on the SME dashboard is Durlax Top Surface, which has 2 brands, namely LUXOR and ASPIRON. The company manufactures solid surface materials, which include UV acrylic solid sheets. The company wants to raise Rs 40.80 crore, out of which Rs 28.56 crore will be raised via fresh issue, and the remaining will be accumulated via offer for sale. The stock’s price band is set between Rs 65-68. Gem Enviro, which specialises in plastic waste management and recycling, aims to raise Rs 44.93 crore via this IPO. Stock analyst Dilip Dawda recommends investing in this IPO for medium to long-term gains, given that the company has paid dividend over the past 2 years <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="IPOs closing today" comment="subhead" text="IPOs closing today">IPOs closing today</cmsannotation> IPOs of <keyword id="22105287" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GPES-Solar" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="GPES Solar" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="GPES Solar">GPES Solar</keyword>, which opened on 14th June, and United Cotfab, which opened on 13th June, are closing today. GPES Solar, which is in the business of solar inverters and panels, aims to raise Rs 31 crore. Its IPO was oversubscribed around 408.3 times. Retail investors oversubscribed to the share by around 519.57 times. However, Dawda recommends subscription to this IPO only if you are a market veteran and have surplus, long-term funds to park. The IPO of United Cotfab, which manufactures open-end cotton yarn, is also closing today. It was oversubscribed by 48.27 times in the retail investor category. While the company intends to raise Rs 36.29 crore entirely via fresh issue, experts have raised concerns about the company’s profitability and sustainability.

IPO Overview : DEE Piping, Akme Fintrade, GPES Solar

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China just issued draft regulations to rein in solar cell production.</li><li>This shows Beijing knows and is concerned about industrial overcapacity.</li></ul>China and the West are in disagreement over claims that the East Asian giant is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-economy-overcapacity-dumping-manufacturing-exports-economic-woes-world-yellen-2024-4">producing too much stuff</a> and depressing global prices.<a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://english.news.cn/europe/20240507/0606e58b4cec4bb5ac749eacbda8d567/c.html">China has pushed back</a> against this notion, saying the West is trying to contain its economic growth.But Beijing recently released a new set of draft rules that show China knows and is concerned about overcapacity too — specifically in solar cell production.On Tuesday, China's industry ministry released new <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.miit.gov.cn/jgsj/dzs/gzdt/art/2024/art_16a86cc6229d4cf8b52c54dd01df7a74.html">draft regulation</a> to promote "high-quality development" in the industry. The draft rules are open for public consultation until Monday.The ministry did not explicitly target excess capacity but said in its proposal that it aims to guide solar cell companies to reduce manufacturing projects that "simply expand production capacity" while improving innovation, production, quality, and reducing production costs.China's industry ministry is looking to increase the ratio of capital that shareholders must invest in projects. This could limit the speed of industry expansion and curb overproduction.The new rules come as the solar industry deals with a glut of panels following years of breakneck growth. The sector is one key pillar of the country's <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-economy-new-growth-areas-electric-vehicles-batteries-solar-property-2024-1">"new three" economic drivers,</a> so Beijing would want it to be sustainable.<h2 id="6cb67844-d629-4984-8a27-fc784059e960">China is producing more solar panels than the world can absorb</h2>As it stands, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-solar-panel-supply-overcapacity-power-grid-demand-support-energy-2024-5">China is producing way more</a> solar panels than its power grid can handle. There's such a huge glut of solar panels worldwide that some people are using them as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-flood-solar-panel-cell-market-garden-fence-overcapacity-yellen-2024-4">garden fencing.</a>China's solar module manufacturing capacity nearly tripled in 2022 alone before gaining another 84% in 2023, commodities consultancy Wood Mackenzie wrote in a report in April.Ed Crooks, the vice-chairman of energy at Wood Mackenzie, called the surge "most dramatic."Last year, China — the world's largest solar energy producer — installed fewer panels than it produced, per Wood Mackenzie.The oversupply caused a plunge in solar cell prices that even Chinese manufacturers are up in arms about.In May, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association called for more mergers and acquisitions, as well as restrictions on domestic competition to control capacity.On Monday, Longi, a major Chinese solar maker, said in a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="media-ui-Link_link-tVkXhPLPofs-" href="https://sns.sseinfo.com/resources/images/upload/202407/202407051955023663989150.pdf">stock filing</a> that 2024 will be a "difficult year" for the company and industry. The company laid off thousands of workers earlier this year."The entire industry does not have the ability to support further price declines in the short term," Longi said on Monday.

China basically just admitted it's also concerned about solar panel overcapacity

<keyword id="19896380" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Industries" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Industries" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reliance Industries">Reliance Industries</keyword>, under the leadership of <keyword id="19916798" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani" source="keywords">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>, showcased its vision for the future during the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) that was held today (August 29). During the AGM, <keyword id="19936674" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance" source="keywords">Reliance</keyword> laid out ambitious plans that span across its diverse businesses. The conglomerate, which has interests ranging from oil to telecom to retail, is positioning itself as a key player in India’s growth story, with a particular focus on <keyword id="20239522" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="technological-innovation" source="keywords">technological innovation</keyword>, energy security, and retail expansion. <h2>Not chasing short-term profits</h2><keyword id="19898589" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ambani" source="keywords">Ambani</keyword>, during his speech, said that Reliance is not merely chasing short-term profits but is dedicated to creating long-term wealth for the nation. He reiterated the company’s commitment to providing high-quality products and services that enhance the lives of Indian consumers. The chairman announced that the company’s board will consider issuing bonus shares on September 5, further rewarding shareholders as Reliance continues to grow. <h2>Transforming into a deep-tech company</h2>A major theme of the AGM this year was Reliance’s transformation into a deep tech company, with advanced manufacturing capabilities at its core. Ambani described this shift as essential to securing a place in the global top-30 companies in the near future. He highlighted the company’s strategic adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), calling it one of the most transformative events in human history. AI, he noted, opens up new avenues to address complex problems, making Reliance a net producer of technology. Reliance has been making significant strides in R&amp;D, with over ₹3,643 crore invested in FY24 alone, taking the total research expenditure to over ₹11,000 crore in the last four years. This investment is driving innovations in various areas, including bio-energy, solar power, green energy, and high-value chemicals. The company has also been active in digital research, filing patents in 6G, 5G, AI, and IoT, among others. Ambani assured that this tech-driven transformation would propel Reliance into a new phase of hyper-growth, multiplying its value in the coming years. <h2><keyword id="20337020" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-business" source="keywords">Retail business</keyword> to double</h2>In addition to technological advancements, Reliance Retail, the company’s retail arm, is set to double its business in the next three to four years. Isha Ambani, Director of Reliance Retail, shared that the retail segment recorded a gross revenue of ₹3.06 lakh crore for the financial year ending March 31, 2024, marking a 17.8% growth over the previous year. The retail business has rapidly expanded, with Reliance opening 1,840 new stores in the past year, bringing the total to 18,836 stores across 79 million square feet of retail space. This growth has positioned Reliance Retail among the top-5 global retailers in terms of store count and among the top-10 in market capitalization globally. Isha Ambani emphasised that much of this growth is driven by a focus on smaller towns, where two-thirds of the new stores have been opened. Reliance Retail is also focused on creating high-quality, affordable products through its Consumer Brands business, which has seen the re-launch of popular brands like Campa, Lotus Chocolates, and Sosyo. Mukesh Ambani concluded by underscoring Reliance’s mission to provide energy security to India while also contributing to a cleaner and greener world. As the global landscape becomes increasingly uncertain, he expressed confidence in India’s role as a key growth engine in the global economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that India will become the world’s third-largest economy by 2027, surpassing Japan and Germany. Ambani affirmed that Reliance will continue to be a driving force in India’s march toward becoming a developed nation.

You Searched For "solar industry" and got 9 results

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IPO Overview : DEE Piping, Akme Fintrade, GPES Solar

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China basically just admitted it's also concerned about solar panel overcapacity

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