IGEF: Centre Stage at REI Expo

The 11th edition of the Renewable Energy India (REI) Expo took place from 20 to 22 September 2017 at the India Expo Centre, Greater Noida. The Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF) became the supporting partner together with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Govt. of India (MNRE), Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) amongst others. The show saw participation of nearly 45 countries and over 750 exhibitors. IGEF organised a session on Solar Rooftop PV and participated in thematic sessions during the two-day conference.

At the opening ceremony of the Renewable Energy India (REI) expo, Anand Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), stated, “Under Prime Minister Modi, we upscaled our total renewable energy target to 175 GW by 2022. With advancements in technology, and with price of solar and wind reducing, we are not only sure but confident that we will not only achieve the target, but exceed it. Mr. Hans-Josef Fell popularly known as the father of German ‘Energiewende’ (Energy Transition), encouraged India to go for 100% Renewables in his keynote address at the inaugural ceremony.

On the first day, IGEF organised an insightful session on Indo-German Energy Dialogue on Niche Markets for Solar PV Rooftop. The session discussed best practices and sought solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in the solar rooftop sector. Mr. Hans-Josef Fell, President of the Energy Watch Group (EWG) & Former Member of German Parliament discussed Society’s Role and Challenges for the development of a Residential Rooftop PV market. Mr. Jörg Gäbler, Principal Advisor GIZ India presented PV Port & Store Business Model for Rooftop PV. Mr. Abhinav Goyal, Technical Expert GIZ India spoke about the Quality Assessment of Residential PV Rooftop in India.

Mr. Santosh Menon, Secretary, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), presented a case study on Solarising Sport Stadiums in India. He congratulated GIZ for the Green Wicket Project for solarizing M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Mr. Steven Xuereb, Head of Business Unit PV Systems, Photovoltaic-Institute Berlin, talked about the International Quality Standards for Indian PV Rooftop Development and Mr. Stefan Hediger, Head of Energy Cell KfW German Development Bank gave a presentation on Financing of Rooftop PV. Mr. Tobias Winter, Director, Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF SO) concluded the interactive session.

On day two, IGEF was moderated the Storage Spectrum session. The session, moderated by Mr. Tobias Winter, Director IGEF focused on important topics such as Energy storage technology to build an “Advanced Distribution Grid”, Operations of energy storage, Commercial Feasibility of Storage Solutions, Grid Stability through Storage and New and Emerging Technologies.

The Technology Exhibition ‘renewables – Made in Germany’ by the German Energy Agency (dena) was also one of the highlights of this year’s REI Expo 2017. With 26 stand-alone panels, the exhibition presents facts about renewable energy sources, technologies and systems. This exhibition was visited by interested visitors at the expo and conference. The Technology Exhibition is an important platform for IGEF to showcase renewable energy technologies and strengthen Indo-German Energy collaboration.

IN